First investigation of link between kiss-borne venereal disease and skin cancer outbreak
Aug 06, 2025
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HPV has previously been known to be associated with cervical cancer, anal cancer, and throat cancer, but this is the first direct association with skin cancer.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported the case of a 34-year-old female patient in the international journal 『New England Journal of Medicine』.
The woman underwent surgery and immunotherapy for skin cancer that occurs repeatedly on her forehead, but the cancer continued to recur.
Early on, her rare condition, 'RIDDLE syndrome', was suspected to be the cause.
This disease is a genetic disease that can cause symptoms such as high blood pressure, low potassium levels, and high blood uric acid levels.
However, as a result of the researchers' analysis, it was found that the HPV virus was inserted into the genes of cancer cells, causing mutations and making cancer cells more aggressive.
Further examination revealed normal ability of skin cells to repair against UV damage, suggesting that sunlight exposure is not the main cause.
The patient's immune system was weakened because he did not produce enough T cells, which are healthy immune cells.
Accordingly, the medical staff performed stem cell transplantation treatment, and skin cancer did not recur three years later. HPV-related symptoms that appeared on the tongue and skin also disappeared.
The virus she was infected with is 'beta-HPV', a type that is present in the skin and can be transmitted through sexual contact, the researchers said.
It was also described as a different variant from 'alpha-HPV' related to cervical cancer.
Dr. Andrea Lisco, who participated in the study, said "It could present a new approach to the treatment of skin cancer in patients with decreased immune functionIt was expected that an immunotherapy-based approach would help more patients. However, the researchers emphasized that the discovery is still in its early stages and further research is needed.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
