Cancers of the mouth and throat are insidious — they can develop silently for up to ten years. By the time they are discovered, patients often already have metastases. According to Marián Hajdúch, Medical Director of the National Institute
for Cancer Research, the development of these tumors could, in many cases, be prevented. They are triggered by human papillomaviruses (HPV), which can be detected.
Gargle tests could be offered by dentists or general practitioners, says Hajdúch. “We could even introduce a self-collection option — meaning that patients would receive a test kit by mail and could perform the gargle test at home on their own,” he explains. The sample would then simply be sent back to the laboratory by post. “This is exactly how colorectal cancer screening works in countries like the Netherlands and Finland, and it functions very well. Participation rates there range between 70 and 85 percent,” Hajdúch told Aktuálně.cz.
HPV-related cancers are increasingly affecting the tonsils and the base of the tongue, particularly among men. While the immune system usually clears the virus naturally, persistent infections can cause malignant changes over time.
A new gargle test now offers a way to detect high-risk HPV strains in the mouth and throat before cancer develops. This simple and non-invasive method could help identify people at greater risk early on. HPV vaccination remains the most effective prevention — not only against cervical cancer in women but also against HPV-related head and neck cancers in men. Expanding vaccination programs and raising awareness, they say, could significantly reduce the burden of these preventable cancers.
Full article in Czech is available here – zpravy.aktualne.cz