Introduction
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is one of the common health conditions that are often transmitted sexually and contains up to 150 different types. In this health condition, the skin gets affected in ways that cannot be seen with the eyes. More than forty HPV types affect the throat (pharynx and larynx) and the anogenital area; most of them are sexually transmitted. This is the only reason why many people don’t know that they’re dealing with genital HPV. The virus is also known to create warts on the genitalia. Various kinds of human papillomavirus (HPV) can develop warts on various body areas, including the hands. Multiple HPV types can coexist in an infected individual.
HPV Signs and Symptoms
No definite signs and symptoms of HPV, as the infection can be caused by skin-to-skin contact. For instance, someone who has HPV might not be aware of the infectious disease until and unless they haven’t performed any routine tests.
How HPV And Cancer Are Related To Each Other?
If you’re health-conscious and eager to know about the connection between HPV and cervical cancer, you should keep in mind the following points:
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This is a commonly infected virus that can be caused through sexual intercourse.
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PPV-16 and HPV-18 are different types of HPV that can cause changes in cervical cells.
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These enhance the risk of developing cervical cancer over time if not detected and treated on time.
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The immune system removes all viruses before they start causing any harm.
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Frequent infection with high-risk HPV types often enhances the risk of developing cervical cancer.
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Monitoring of HPV screenings and pap tests at regular intervals helps in detecting changes in abnormal cells.
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HPV vaccinations protect individuals from high-risk infections and lessen the risk of cervical cancer.
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When you find any precancerous changes at an early stage and start taking treatment before or on time, it may lessen the chances of developing cervical cancer.
Types Of Cancer Caused By Hpv
Cervical cancer is one of the common types of cancer that can be caused by HPV transmission. Some other common types of cancer are mentioned below:
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mouth/throat cancer
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Penile cancer
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Anal cancer
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vulvar cancer
After hitting HPV, cancer can take years or decades to evaluate. As such, there is no definite way to tell who will get cancer or other health issues from HPV.
Individuals who’ve low immune systems are at high risk of getting infected with HIV/AIDS and may not be able to fight off or clear HPV illnesses as they are more likely to get sick from them.
To combat HPV transmission, vaccination is one of the most effective solutions that can reduce cancer development by 90%. It can also stop precancerous cells that can turn into cancer in the anal, vaginal, cervical, and vulvar areas.
The HPV vaccine can be taken between the ages of 11 and 12, as this seems to be the right choice and lessens the chance of spreading any infection in the body.
Statistics
Statistics have shown that HPV is the only responsible factor in enhancing the number of cancer cases significantly with each passing year. Approximately 630,000 cancer diagnoses occur each year.
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About 90 percent of cervical cancer are diagnosed with HPV
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Approximately 90% anal cancer cases can be caused by HPV transmission
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The human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for one in every three cases of HPV head and neck cancer.
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Four in every five cases are incidents of vaginal cancer and it causes only with HPV
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The human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for half of all incidences of vulvar cancer.
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More than half of the malignancies that affect the skin of the penis are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV And Throat Cancer
Oropharynx is a cancer type that can affect the tonsils and tongue base. The cases of this type of cancer are increasing significantly due to HPV infection. These are primarily subtypes of HPV-16 and 18 viruses that can influence the throat by performing oral sex or any other intimate course. The infection can persist for a long duration even for years and months as it has the ability to hold. In response, throat cancer starts making changes in the throat cells that can develop cancer over time. The HPV vaccine is the only solution for preventing throat cancer, but oftentimes it does not work effectively.
HPV And Cervical Cancer
HPV and cervical cancer are interlinked and often found in people with a cervix. Various research studies clarify that all cervical cancers can be caused by HPV. Cervical cancer can be cured with regular screening tests such as the HPV test and the Pap test. The HPV test helps in identifying the cause of infection, whereas the PAP test looks for changes in cervical cells that can happen due to HPV infection.
How Is HPV Transmitted?
HPV is often transmitted among partners while doing sexual intercourse or making any skin-to-skin contact. This includes penile-anal sex, penile-vaginal sex, penile-oral sex, and vaginal-oral sex. But using a condom in the correct manner lessens the risk of HPV transmission but does not cure it from the root cause.
Statistics
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Approximately 200,000 women in the US are diagnosed with pre-cervical cancer.
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Cervical cancer can be caused by HPV in almost 11,100 women.
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Around 4,000 women are dying of cervical cancer each year.
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Cervical cancer has become a major issue in cancer deaths commonly found in women in the United States.
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Starting at age 21, even vaccinated women should still have frequent cervical cancer screening.
Conclusion
Cancer in any form is one of the dangerous diseases that can often spread due to skin-to-skin contact. Routine tests such as HPV infection and PAP tests help in identifying cancer types. But sometimes, the consistent development of abnormal cells in the inner section of the body takes a long time to identify cancer and its type.
HPV vaccination and screening tests (HPV infection and PAP) at frequent intervals are the most effective solutions in order to determine the exact cause of cancer development.
Do HPV and abnormal cells mean cancer?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause alterations in cells, but that doesn’t mean that it ends up with cancer. Conducting tests, which includes HPV infection and Pap tests. These are some that help in identifying the development of cancer at an early stage and reduce the risk of cancer development.
Can HPV 6 and 11 cause cancer?
HPV 6 and 11 are primary types that are less risky and often cause genital warts than cancer. Consistent infection for a long period may enhance the risk of developing different cancers, like cancers of the genitals or respiratory tract.
Can HPV cause head and neck cancer?
16 and 18 are primarily types of cancer that cause head and neck cancers, specifically in between the back of the throat and the base of the tongue.
