The sex act almost EVERYONE (including Katy Perry) does that could be fuelling the rise in throat cancer – as Jamie Theakston reveals his diagnosis

The UK and US are suffering a throat cancer ‘epidemic’ with more people being diagnosed each year.

But doctors aren’t just blaming smoking, instead they think oral sex could be the culprit.

It comes as Heart Radio presenter Jamie Theakston, 53, revealed he has stage one laryngeal cancer after listeners had noticed there was something not quite right with his voice.

There’s around 12,800 new head and neck cancers in the UK every year and around 71,100 in the US.

Since the early 1990s, incidence rates of the cancer have increased by more than a third (35 per cent) in the UK, Cancer Research says.

Doctors say Human papillomavirus (HPV), a normally harmless virus that is spread sexually and through skin contact, could be behind the rise.

Jamie Theakston revealed he has cancer on Tuesday and said he is taking a break from his Heart Radio job as his co-star Amanda Holden gave a health update

Doctors say Human papillomavirus ( HPV ), a normally harmless virus that is spread sexually and through skin contact, could be behind the rise in head and neck cancers

Pop star Katie Perry recently admitted to the act. The ‘Firework’ singer told the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast: ‘If I come downstairs and the kitchen is clean, and you’ve done it all, and you’ve done all the dishes, and you’ve closed all the pantry doors, you better be ready to get your dick sucked’

Dr Hisham Mehanna, from the UK’s University of Birmingham, said 70 percent of cases of throat cancer are caused by HPV which has been linked to multiple forms of cancers.

He said people with multiple oral sex partners have an up to nine-fold increased risk of throat cancer.

He wrote in The Conversation that there has been a ‘rapid increasing throat cancer in the west’ to the extent some have called ‘an epidemic’.

Oropharyngeal cancer is the most common type of throat cancer. It appears in the tonsils and back of the throat.

HPV is linked to some cases of oropharyngeal cancer, according to Macmillan. But the virus is very common and most people with it will not go on to develop cancer.

A swelling or lump in the neck, a sore throat, earache, changes in voice and unequal looking tonsils are all tell-tale signs of the disease.

This data shows that in the UK cases of throat cancer have been trending upward, just like in the US

Catching the virus has been shown to increase risk of several cancers including cervical, mouth, anal, penile and vaginal

The HPV vaccine – which is offered to all 12- and 13-year-old school children – more than halved rates of head and neck cancers, according to a new study

Doctors have found that oral sex is the biggest risk factor for this type of cancer— outpacing smoking, alcohol consumption and an unhealthy diet.

This is because the acts can lead to an HPV infection at the back of the throat or near the tonsil.

HPV is a common virus spread through vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who is already infected.

Although these infections go away on their own in most cases, sometimes it can persist and cause cancer.

Research shows the overwhelming majority of (85.4%) and women (83.2%) perform oral sex during intimacy.

HPV has been shown to increase risk of several cancers including cervical, mouth, anal, penile and vaginal.

There is a vaccine for HPV. It is more than 80 percent effective and available in much of the developed world.

It is a two-dose vaccine for children between ages 11 and 12. The shots come 12 months apart.

For people who missed that window, a three-dose shot is available to people 15 to 26.

The vaccine has been offered to girls in England and Wales since September 2008 before being widened to include boys in 2019.

But the jab doesn’t just help prevent cervical cancer, it has also proved effective slashing rates of head and neck cancers.

Rates have dropped from 6.3 cases to 2.8 cases per 100,000 men, according to a study involving more than 5 million men and women in the United States.

Commenting on the news that presenter Jamie Theakston has been diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer after fans spotted a change in his voice, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, Professor Peter Johnson said: ‘While any cancer diagnosis is daunting, it is really positive that Jamie’s has been picked up early.

‘Talking about cancer and how to spot signs and symptoms helps save lives, as detecting cancer early gives people the best chance of successful treatment.

‘One in two of us will develop some form of cancer in our lifetime — but thanks to continued progress, more cancers are now being diagnosed at an early stage than ever before and survival rates are at an all-time high, so I would encourage anyone to visit their GP if they have worrying symptoms, and to take up screening appointments when they receive them.’

What is laryngeal cancer?

Laryngeal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the larynx (voice box).

The larynx is about 2in long and found throat found at the entrance of the windpipe.

There are about 2,300 cases of laryngeal cancer diagnosed in the UK each year.

It’s four times more common in men as it is in women and more likely to strike people in their 60s.

The main symptom of laryngeal cancer is having a hoarse voice for more than three weeks.

Other potential symptoms include:

A general change in voice

Pain when swallowing or difficulty swallowing
A lump or swelling in your neck
A long-lasting cough or breathlessness
A persistent sore throat or earache
A high-pitched wheezing noise when you breathe
Difficulty breathing
Bad breath
General fatigue

People are recommended to see a GP if they’d had any a hoarse voice for more than three weeks.

Laryngeal cancer can sometimes run in families but smoking, regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol, an unhealthy diet and exposure to certain substances like asbestos can increase your risk.

Treatment for this cancer depends on when it is diagnosed.

If early a combination of radiation to shrink the cancer and surgery to remove what remains is typical.

If the disease is more advanced the entire larynx may need to be removed followed by chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Removal of the larynx will mean a person will no longer be able to speak or breathe normally.

Instead, surgeons will craft a dedicated hole in part of the neck.

They will then place a valve there that can mimic the function of the larynx.

In some cases, patients are also be given an electrical device to hold against their throat to help produce sounds.

Outlook for laryngeal cancer varies on the stage the disease was spotted, with earlier being better.

But overall, 65 per cent of patients will survive five years after diagnosis.

This falls to 55 per cent in a decade.

Despite its common name of voice box the larynx does more than just produce sounds, also helping prevent food from entering the windpipe and assisting breathing.

Laryngeal cancer belongs to a subgroup of cancers called ‘head and neck cancers’.

Overall head and neck cancers kill over 4,000 Brits each year.