HPV May Lead to Skin Cancer

A new study has suggested that HPV, the virus that can lead to cervical and throat cancer, may now be linked to another form of cancer. According to findings, HPV could lead to an increased chance of developing squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer.

The study also found that those people who take drugs that suppress the immune system are at an even higher to contract HPV.

Despite the findings, many experts are disagreeing that having HPV will automatically make a person more susceptible to skin cancer.

The authors of the study do say that the study was only conducted among white participants. So at this point in time, there is no findings whether the results will be clear with all people.

The study was conducted among 663 adults with squamous cell carcinoma, 898 adults with basal cell carcinoma which is the most common type of skin cancer, and 805 healthy adults. Researchers then compared their HPV antibody levels. However, its important to note that this study focused on the correlation between HPV and squamous cell carcinoma only.

Experts are stressing that the most common cause of skin cancer is too much sun exposure. And that the risks can be lowered by taking care of the skin by using sun protection, drinking plenty of water, and getting the right amount of sleep. There are over 100 types of HPV, so experts are cautious of the results found from this study, as they do not feel the results are conclusive enough yet.