Father of two, 60, surprised to learn throat cancer linked to HPV – shares the symptom he overlooked

A 60-year-old father of two has expressed his surprise at learning that oral intercourse and the human papillomavirus (HPV) were the causes of his throat cancer.

In November 2023, Frank Lane of Basingstoke, Hampshire, became aware of a hard lump the size of an egg on the right side of his neck.

He initially believed it was simply enlarged glands from overdoing his gym sessions.

After two weeks, the HGV driver went to his doctor, who recommended urgent tests when the swelling didn’t go away.

According to scans, he had HPV-caused throat cancer, which is typically contracted through close contact, such as oral sex.

According to his biopsy results, he may have contracted the virus up to 40 years ago, when he enlisted in the army at the age of 20.

Frank was informed that there was no sign of the illness following several months of radiation and treatment.

He now gets checked out every two months and is warning people not to disregard strange symptoms.

In recent years, throat cancer linked to HPV has increased in frequency.

Although heavy drinking and smoking were traditionally thought to be the primary causes of head and neck cancers, new study indicates HPV may be to blame for as many as 70% of these instances.

The majority of people get HPV at some point in their lives, and the virus is typically eliminated by the body on its own.

On the other hand, the virus occasionally causes malignant alterations in healthy tissue.

Cervical, anal, and penile malignancies have already been connected to the virus.

According to experts, the increasing incidence of HPV-related throat cancer cases, especially in younger and middle-aged adults, is a result of an increase in oral sex.

In 2010, Michael Douglas, a Hollywood actor, made news when he disclosed that his throat cancer was caused by oral sex.

Frank remembered the first time he realized something was amiss: “I felt my neck while shaving and thought, ‘That feels a bit hard.’”

The mass, the size of a boiled egg, protruded from the top of my tonsils when the doctor glanced into my mouth.

I attributed my extreme fatigue to both work and sleep deprivation.

In addition, I was getting up three or four times a night to use the restroom, but I attributed that to growing older.

My girlfriend believed it might simply be enlarged glands from the tension of the exercise.

He claimed to have been shocked to learn that oral sex was the cause of his disease.

I didn’t anticipate this because I stopped smoking ten years ago.

Not because of the disease, but because of how it occurred, several of the guys at work chuckled.

Their faces turned white when I advised them to Google it.

According to the expert, the virus that infected my biopsies most likely originated about 40 years ago.

At 20, I was having sex, but I wasn’t seeing a lot of different women.

After 12 years in the Royal Corps of Signals, Frank started treatment at Henley Hospital in Oxfordshire in January 2024 with two rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation.

He remarked, “That radiotherapy was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced, even though I served in the army for 12 years.”

He is now sharing his tale as a warning, sixteen months after completing treatment.

“I would advise against oral sex.

However, if you experience any strange symptoms, such as lumps, swelling, or fatigue, don’t disregard them; instead, get evaluated right away.

About 12,500 individuals are diagnosed with head and neck cancers each year, and about 4,000 of them die from them, making it the eighth most prevalent form in the nation, according to Cancer Research UK.

According to the NHS, 8 out of 10 people will contract HPV at some point, although the majority will recover without any problems.

Although the HPV vaccine is the best defense, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data, uptake in the UK is still low, at only 56% for girls and 50% for boys, whereas in Denmark it is over 80%.

In 2008, the vaccination was made available to girls in Year 8, and in 2019, it was made available to boys as well.

The low uptake, according to experts, is a result of stigma and false beliefs about the vaccine, such as the idea that it is solely effective against cervical cancer.

Frank’s story serves as a reminder that early detection can save lives and that HPV can remain dormant for decades before exhibiting symptoms.