Cases of HPV-linked throat cancer in Denmark rise sevenfold

Denmark has seen a more than sevenfold increase in cases of throat cancer over the past 40 years, with nearly 500 diagnoses in 2024 compared to around 70 in 1990, according to a new study by Rigshospitalet published in the International Journal of Cancer.

The surge is largely driven by HPV, which now accounts for 70 percent of new cases, said Christian Von Buchwald, professor of otolaryngology at the University of Copenhagen and senior consultant at Rigshospitalet. The virus, transmitted through oral sex, often lies dormant for decades before triggering cancer, typically in men around age 60.

Men are three times more likely to develop the disease than women, as they are less effective at clearing the virus, Von Buchwald explained. While alcohol remains a risk factor, the rise aligns with the sexual liberation of the 1960s generation, which facilitated the virus’s spread.

Symptoms include persistent throat pain, swallowing difficulties, a lump sensation, ear pain, or unexplained hoarseness. Treatment—often surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy—has an 80 percent five-year survival rate.

A vaccine introduced in Denmark’s childhood immunization program—free for girls since 2009 and boys since 2019—offers protection. Yet only 82 percent of girls and 79 percent of boys complete the vaccination, short of the WHO’s 90 percent target. Researchers found just one-third of Danes know HPV can cause throat cancer.

Due to the virus’s long incubation period, the full impact of vaccination won’t appear until around 2045, with cases expected to plateau around 2040. By 2039, projections suggest over 11 times as many men will be diagnosed annually compared to 1980.