Almost all cervical cancer is caused by HPV. 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. Almost all cervical cancer is caused by HPV.
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.
Research has found that it can take 10 to 20 years, or even longer, for HPV-infected cervical cells to develop into a cancerous tumor. Among women whose cervical cells are infected with high-risk HPV, several factors increase the chance that the infection will be long lasting and lead to precancerous cervical cells.
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.
Early-stage cervical cancer generally produces no signs or symptoms. Signs and symptoms of more-advanced cervical cancer include: Vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after menopause. Watery, bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and have a foul odor.
For many patients, the different treatments work so well that long-term survival, even cure, is now commonplace. Like Mendelsohn, the large majority of people with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer return to relatively good health within a year of completing treatment, Dr. Yom said.
Cervical cancer is the main type of cancer linked to HPV. Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. But cervical cancer is quite uncommon.
Anyone who has had sex can get HPV, even if it was only with only one person, but infections are more likely in people who have had many sex partners. Even if a person delays sexual activity until marriage, or only has one partner, they are still at risk of HPV infection if their partner has been exposed.
Folate (vitamin B9)
According to a 2021 study , folate and vitamin B12 were found to play a critical role in lowering the risk of contracting a strain of HPV (HPV 16) and an associated form of cervical precancer (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, otherwise known as CIN).
There's no cure for HPV, no matter what gender you are. However, with regular testing, your nurse or doctor can find abnormal cells in your cervix and treat them before they turn into cancer. And most HPV infections go away on their own and don't cause any serious health problems.
Cervical cancer is the most common HPV-associated cancer among women, and oropharyngeal cancers (cancers of the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils) are the most common among men.
Nearly everyone will get HPV at some point in their lives. More than 42 million Americans are currently infected with HPV types that cause disease. About 13 million Americans, including teens, become infected each year.
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.
When cervical cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 92%. When cervical cancer is diagnosed after it has spread to nearby tissues, organs, or regional lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate is 58%.
Patients with HPV-positive throat cancer have a disease-free survival rate of 85-90 percent over five years. This is in contrast to the traditional patient population of excessive smokers and drinkers with advanced disease who have a five- year survival rate of approximately 25- 40 percent.
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 causes nearly all cervical cancers. About 70% of HPV-related cervical cancer is caused by HPV-16 or HPV-18. However, most genital HPV infections will not cause cancer. Smoking can also raise the risk of cervical cancer in women with HPV.
The progression from becoming infected with HPV to developing CIN or CGIN and then developing cervical cancer is very slow, often taking 10 to 20 years.
Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 44 with the average age at diagnosis being 50 . It rarely develops in women younger than 20. Many older women do not realize that the risk of developing cervical cancer is still present as they age.
For cervical cancer, incidence increases rapidly from age 25 when routine screening starts, with a dip thereafter.
A positive HPV test means you do have an HPV type that may be linked to cervical cancer. This does not mean you have cervical cancer now. But it could be a warning. The specific HPV type may be identified to determine the next step.
There are more than 200 types of HPV, and many are totally harmless and go away on their own. But 13 types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer, and 1 of these types can also lead to cancer of the throat, anus, vulva, vagina, and penis. The types of HPV that can cause cancer are called high-risk HPV.