HPV virus 'linked to third of throat cancer cases'

One third of people diagnosed with throat cancer are infected with a form of the HPV virus, a study suggests.

HPV (human papillomavirus) is the major cause of cervical cancer, and the virus is known to spread through genital or oral contact.

Actor Michael Douglas is reported to have spoken about the link after his own diagnosis with throat cancer.

Experts said this study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which quantifies the link, showed "striking" results.

There are more than 100 types of HPV. Most people will be infected with HPV at some point, but in most the immune system will offer protection.

There are two HPV strains which are most likely to cause cancer - HPV-16 and HPV-18.

HPV-16 is thought to be responsible for around 60% of cervical cancers, 80% of cancers in the anus and 60% of oral cancers.

Around 1,500 people are diagnosed with throat cancers each year in the UK, with around 470 people dying from the disease.

Survival benefit

This study looked at HPV's link with cancer of the back of the throat - oropharyngeal cancer.

It looked at blood test results collected from people who took part in a huge prospective study into lifestyle and cancer, who were all healthy at the start.

Everyone gives a blood sample when they join the study, and in this case the researchers were able to check for the presence of antibodies to one of HPV's key proteins - E6.

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Condoms won't stop infections completely."”

E6 knocks out part of cells' protection system, which should prevent cancer developing.

Having the antibodies means HPV has already overcome that defence and caused cancerous changes in cells.

The researchers compared blood test results - some more than 10 years old - for 135 people who went on to develop throat cancer and for 1,599 cancer-free people.

The University of Oxford team found 35% of those with throat cancer had the antibodies, compared with fewer than 1% of those who were cancer-free.

However, these patients were more likely to survive throat cancer than people whose disease had other causes, such as alcohol or tobacco use.

The study found 84% of people with the antibodies were still alive five years after diagnosis, compared with 58% of those without.

Broader effect?

Dr Ruth Travis, a Cancer Research UK scientist at Oxford who worked on the study, said: "These striking results provide some evidence that HPV-16 infection may be a significant cause of oropharyngeal cancer."

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of health information, said: "HPV is an extremely common virus.

"Practising safer sex may reduce the risk of getting or passing on HPV, but condoms won't stop infections completely."

She added: "If the HPV vaccine can also protect against oral HPV infections and cancers, then it could have a broader potential protective effect, but we don't have enough research yet to tell us. "

Fifa: Brazil World Cup to have 'cheapest ever tickets'

Tickets for next year's World Cup in Brazil will be "cheapest ever", football's governing body Fifa says.

Fifa Secretary-General Jerome Valcke said 70% of the matches would cost less than in previous events; ticket prices will be announced on 19 July.

Mr Valcke and Fifa President Sepp Blatter praised the Confederations Cup in Brazil which ended on Sunday.

The tournament was marked by protests against the high cost of the World Cup, corruption and poor public services.

Mr Blatter said the Confederations Cup was a success despite the demonstrations which took millions to the streets.

"I am happy we come to a conclusion now with a sporting result and the impression that the social unrest is now resting - I don't know how long for," he told reporters in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

'Some uncertainty'

The head of Fifa also admitted there had been fears that Brazil would not be ready for the World Cup in 2014.

Building work at some stadiums was finished shortly before the start of the Confederations Cup and there were doubts about how the country's infra-structure would cope with a large scale event.

"When we started the competition there was some uncertainty what would happen," Mr Blatter said.

Fifa officials avoided commenting on security issues, saying they were a matter for the government to deal with.

During the Confederations Cup there have been several clashes between protesters and security forces, who fired rubber bullets, pepper spray and tear gas into the crowds.

There were reports that the public was affected by the gas inside the stadiums, including Rio's Maracana, where Brazil beat Spain 3-0 in Sunday's final.

Fifa was one of the targets of protesters, who complained that football's governing body gained profits exempt from tax and that high investments of public funds in the preparation for the international football events would have been better used for hospitals or schools.

PayPal error creates history’s first quadrillionaire

Pennsylvania native characterises $92,233,720,368,547,800 windfall as ‘quite a big surprise’

Internet payment agent PayPal yesterday admitted an error had led to a $92-quadrillion credit to the account of a Pennsylvania, US resident, online media reported.

Chris Reynolds - who briefly became the world's richest man (ever, probably) - discovered the $92,233,720,368,547,800 windfall after checking his monthly statement, but the error was quickly rectified and his account had been debited to zero by the time he had logged in to verify the amount.

"This was obviously an error and we appreciate that Mr Reynolds understands this was the case," PayPal told the BBC.

PayPal pledged to make a donation to Reynolds' favourite charity as compensation for the incident.

In what was arguably a gross understatement, Reynolds told the Philadelphia Daily News, which broke the story, that reading the account statement had been "quite a big surprise".