Register for the Next VICNetwork Webinar

An Interprofessional Approach to HPV and
Oropharyngeal Cancer Prevention Education

Monday, January 8, 20189:00 am - 10:00 am Pacific / 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern

There are approximately 31,500 cancers attributed to HPV each year and that number continues to rise. Oropharyngeal cancer has surpassed cervical cancer as the most common HPV-related cancer. Rates of oropharyngeal cancer have increased more than 225% in the last few decades. More than 70% of oropharyngeal cancers are related to HPV infection. The Massachusetts Oral HPV Prevention Taskforce was created to build connections between medical and dental professionals to increase HPV vaccination rates, decrease HPV-related cancer, and educate both providers and patients on oropharyngeal cancers. Most dental professionals are aware of the role of smoking and alcohol consumption as risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer; however, dedicated, trained dental professionals may be underutilized assets in the realm of HPV education and oropharyngeal cancer prevention. To this end, the Massachusetts Oral HPV Prevention Taskforce aims to educate and empower the dental community with relevant, medically sound cancer prevention information to educate patients to make well-informed oral health and cancer preventive decisions.

Objectives

Describe action steps to build a partnership with dental providers on HPV education and the importance of HPV vaccination
Identify the relationship between oral HPV infections and head and neck cancers
Discuss ways that dental professionals can include HPV education in patient visits,
including an overview of helpful resources
Determine the effectiveness of an HPV prevention campaign via interprofessional education and consider strategies for sustainability

Featured Speakers

Rebecca Vanucci, MAImmunization Outreach Coordinator,
Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Alessandro Villa, DDS, Ph.D., MPHInstructor in Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity,
Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Associate Surgeon,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Center