Cervical cancer is the most common HPV-associated cancer, and some cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils) are also caused by HPV. HPV can infect the mouth and throat and cause cancers of the oropharynx.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that can affect different parts of your body. There are over 100 types of HPV, including strains of HPV that cause warts on your hands, feet, face, etc.
HPV can cause cervical and other cancers, including cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. It can also cause cancer in the back of the throat (called oropharyngeal cancer). This can include the base of the tongue and tonsils. Cancer often takes years, even decades, to develop after a person gets HPV.
Precancerous lesions at other sites in the body may cause symptoms like itching or bleeding. And if an HPV infection develops into cancer, the cancer may cause symptoms like bleeding, pain, or swollen glands.
Chronic hepatitis C can be a serious disease resulting in long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death. It is the most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States.
A compromised immune response is the prerequisite for disease progression. One unique feature of HPV infection is that it can affect the immune system in such as way that it presents a much more tolerant state, which facilitates persistent hrHPV infection and cervical lesion progression.
When the body's immune system can't get rid of an HPV infection with oncogenic HPV types, it can linger over time and turn normal cells into abnormal cells and then cancer. About 10% of women with HPV infection on their cervix will develop long-lasting HPV infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer.
Chronic hepatitis B can develop into a serious disease resulting in long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer, and even death. There were 1,649 deaths related to hepatitis B virus reported to CDC in 2018, but this is an underestimate.
HPV usually doesn't make you feel sick or cause any symptoms. Your immune system can fight off the infection before you ever know you have it, but you could still spread it to others before that happens. If you do get symptoms, the most common signs of HPV are genital warts.
Patients with HPV-unrelated tumors experienced significantly higher levels of fatigue over the course of the study (p=0.0097, Table 2), especially at pre-IMRT (p=0.001) and three-month post-IMRT (p=0.002), compared to those with HPV-related tumors (Figure 1a).
– there's no evidence that HPV has triggers like herpes or asthma that cause flare ups, but many believe that a weakened immune system can lead to outbreaks being more likely. Genital warts are more likely to flare-up if your immune system is not able to effectively fight the HPV infection causing them to appear.
HPV can cause a very serious condition in children called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). This is a life-threatening disease of the respiratory tract. The papillomas or warts appear and spread quickly, sometimes dangerously blocking the child's airway.
HPV testing can be performed for women with a Pap test (commonly known as a Pap smear), which is a screening test for cervical cancer. HPV testing is only available for women, and it can determine if HPV is present. If present, the test can determine whether the HPV is a low- or a high-risk type.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) blood tests and Pap smear tests are methods for detecting cervical cancer. Doctors may recommend a person has both tests to check for cervical cancer.
The types of virus that most often cause genital warts are called HPV-6 and HPV-11. Genital warts are more contagious, or more easily spread, than other warts. They are spread by skin-to-skin contact. They may spread to other nearby parts of the body and they may be passed from person to person by sexual activity.
Possible side effects
Pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where the shot was given. Fever. Dizziness or fainting (fainting after any vaccine, including HPV vaccine, is more common among adolescents than others) Nausea.
Often, HPV warts will appear three to six months after sexual relations with an infected person; or they may take months to appear; or they may never appear. Likewise, the interval between an infection with HPV and a cervical smear abnormality can vary from months to decades.
Around 90% of HPV infections clear within 2 years. For a small number of women and people with a cervix, their immune system will not be able to get rid of HPV. This is called a persistent infection. A persistent HPV infection causes the cells of the cervix to change.
In countries with limited screening, mortality from cervical cancer far exceeds that of HPV-related disease in men. However, in the developed world, the number of HPV-related cancers in men, including penile, oral, and anal cancer, is similar to that of cervical cancer in women [2–5].
HPV-related cancers often take years to develop after getting an HPV infection. Cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years. There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormal cells on the cervix and the development of cervical cancer.
To help you fight HPV and stay healthy, you can take steps to build your immune system by quitting smoking, decreasing your stress level, and altering your diet. Your doctor may also recommend treatment for your specific symptoms, as well as support resources. Keep in mind that HPV is very common and you are not alone.
HPV Can Lead to Autoimmunity
For example, research shows that HPV infection is directly associated with the onset of several oral autoimmune diseases, including: oral lichen planus (OLP) mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) pemphigus vulgaris (PV)