British man Frank Lane was shocked to learn he had throat cancer after discovering a lump in his neck in late 2023. What seemed like a swollen gland turned out to be something much more serious.
“When the doctor looked in my mouth, she saw it sticking out of the top of my tonsils. It was the size of a boiled egg,” Frank said. A biopsy revealed throat cancer, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which he likely contracted through oral sex decades ago while in the army.
Dr. Hisham Mehanna from the University of Birmingham explained, “HPV is sexually transmitted. Those with six or more lifetime oral sex partners are 8.5 times more likely to develop throat cancer.”
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S., and some strains can cause cancer. Frank underwent chemotherapy and six weeks of painful radiotherapy. “That was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said.
Thankfully, Frank’s treatment worked, and he is now cancer-free.
