War On Warts » hpv

CDC Recommends Boys Receive HPV Vaccine

WarOnWarts — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:41:45 +0000

Coverage of the decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to expand its recommendation for the HPV vaccine to boys and young men aged 11-21 was widespread, appearing on the three network newscasts, and in national newspapers. The story took up over ten percent of news time. ABC World News (10/25, story 3, 0:30, Sawyer) reported that the committee “recommended boys ages 11 and 12 and young men 13 to 21 be vaccinated. Not just girls, who, as we know, are at risk for cervical cancer.”

On NBC Nightly News (10/25, lead story, 3:00, Williams), NBC’s Chief Medical Editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman said that “One of the reasons the parents have backed away from this vaccine in the past is that because it combines three shots spaced out over several months, and sometimes that means compliance is not so good, and insurance companies have backed away from covering it, but the hope today is that the CDC has recommended it, it will be one step forward getting our kids inoculated and having insurance coverage so parents don’t have to bear the cost.”

The CBS Evening News (10/25, story 6, 2:15, Pelley) reported that “experts argue that kids should get” the vaccine early, “before sexual activity and before they develop these diseases like cancer and genital warts. Now for the future, another important thing is that the earlier this vaccine is given, the better the protection, the better the immune response and the better they’re going to be protected against these diseases in the future.”

Anal Warts in Men

WarOnWarts — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:19:14 +0000

What are anal warts?

Anal warts (also called “condyloma acuminata”) are a condition that affects the area around and inside the anus. They may also affect the skin of the genital area. They first appear as tiny spots or growths, perhaps as small as the head of a pin, and may grow larger than the size of a pea. Usually, they do not cause pain or discomfort to afflicted individuals. As a result, patients may be unaware that the warts are present. Some patients will experience symptoms such as itching, bleeding, mucus discharge and/or a feeling of a lump or mass in the anal area.

Anal warts, thought to be caused by the human papilloma virus, can grow larger and spread if not removed.

It is important to know that Anal warts can be found both heterosexuals and in men who have sex with men. Either way, it is nothing to be ashamed of – and it is something that you SHOULD SEEK TREATMENT FOR.

What causes these warts?

They are thought to be caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is transmitted from person to person by direct contact. HPV is considered a sexually transmitted disease. You do not have to have anal intercourse to develop anal condyloma.

Do these warts always need to be removed?

Yes. If they are not removed, the warts usually grow larger and multiply. If left untreated, the warts may lead to an increased risk of cancer in the affected area. This is similar to the risks of cervical cancer in women.

What treatments are available?

If warts are very small and are located only on the skin around the anus, they may be treated with a topical medication. They may also be treated by a physician by freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen. Warts may also be removed surgically. Surgery provides immediate results but must be performed using either a local anesthetic – such as novocaine – or a general or spinal anesthetic, depending on the number and exact location of warts being treated. Warts inside the anal canal usually are not suitable for treatment by medications, and in most cases need to be treated surgically.

Must I be hospitalized for surgical treatment?

No. Surgical treatment of anal warts is usually performed as outpatient surgery.

How much time will I lose from work after surgical treatment?

Most people are moderately uncomfortable for a few days after treatment, and pain medication may be prescribed. Depending on the extent of the disease, most people return to work the next day.

How long is treatment usually continued?

Follow-up visits are necessary at frequent intervals for several months after the last wart is observed to be certain that no new warts occur.

What can be done to avoid getting these warts again?

In some cases, warts may recur repeatedly after successful removal, since the virus that causes the warts often persists in a dormant state in body tissues. Discuss with you physician how often you should be evaluated for recurrent warts. Abstain from sexual contact with individuals who have anal (or genital) warts. Since many individuals may be unaware that they suffer from this condition, sexual abstinence, condom protection or limiting sexual contact to single partner will reduce your potential exposure to the contagious virus that causes these warts. As a precaution, sexual partners ought to be checked, even if they have no symptoms.

National Men’s Health Week – June 14th to 20th

WarOnWarts — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:07:56 +0000

June 14-20^th is National Men’s Health Week and June 20^th is Father’s Day.

Lets celebrate both by sharing the gift of knowledge. Here are some key facts about STD/STI’s that every man should know.

STD/STIs are certainly a critical piece of the sexual health puzzle but being sexually healthy is about much more.

Our most basic advice is:

Abstinence is good and can happen at different times in life
Talk to your parents, they were your age once
Talk to your partner (before you have sex)
Make sure you and your partner know how to use a condom correctly
Find a good healthcare provider and talk to them
Get help if you don’t think you’re in a healthy relationship
Get yourself tested and make sure your partner gets tested (before you have sex)
Take advantage of the vaccines that will help protect you
Learn what you need to know–and keep learning
Your sexual health is important–-you have a right and a responsibility to protect it!

Oral Sex Cause of Throat Cancer Rise

WarOnWarts — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:15:26 +0000

Changing sexual practices have led to a dramatic rise in throat cancer in the United States over the past two decades, and experts say they fear an epidemic of the disease.

The comments were made Wednesday at a news conference held by the American Association for Cancer Research to discuss research into the role of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus ( HPV) in head and neck cancer.

Increasing rates of HPV infection, spread through oral sex, is largely driving the rapid rise in oropharyngeal cancers, which include tumors of the throat, tonsils, and base of the tongue, said Scott Lippman, MD, who chairs the thoracic department at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Studies of oropharyngeal tumor tissue stored 20 years ago show that only around 20% are HPV positive, Lippman said. Today it is estimated that 60% of patients are infected with the virus.

“The percentage of oropharyngeal cancers that are HPV positive is much higher now than it was 20 years ago,” he said. “This is a real trend, and that is why there is concern of an epidemic given that fact that oropharyngeal cancer is increasing at an alarming rate.”
Changing Face of Throat Cancer

Smoking and alcohol abuse were once considered the only major risk factors for these cancers, but this is no longer the case.

American Cancer Society Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, said as many as half of the oropharyngeal cancers diagnosed today appear to be caused by HPV infection.

“Changing sexual practices over the last 20 years, especially as they relate to oral sex, are increasing the rate of head and neck cancers and may be increasing the rates of other cancers as well,” he said.

He added that there is some evidence that oral HPV infection is also a risk factor for a type of cancer of the esophagus.

“The paradigm is changing,” Lippman said. “The types of patients we are seeing now with oropharyngeal cancers are not the patients we have classically seen who were older, smokers, and have lots of other problems. These are young people, executives, a whole different population.”
Oral Sex Not Safe Sex

The experts agreed that it is critical for the public to understand that oral sex doesn’t equal safe sex.

The message was unofficially promoted in the early days of the HIV epidemic and it is still widely believed by many, especially teens.

Studies suggest that teens are often unaware of the risks associated with unprotected oral sex, including the transmission of HPV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.

“There is a huge public health message here,” Brawley said.

source: http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/news/20090729/oral-sex-cause-throat-cancer-rise

bumps on the penis – is a biopsy necessary?

Dr. A — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:24:27 +0000

as a urologist i see a lot of patient with growths or bumps on the penis

some patients ask do I have cancer? do I need a biopsy?

Most patients with a classic wart or HPV do not need a biopsy, patient who are uncircumcised or recurrent growths may consider a biopsy.

Freezing a wart with liquid nitrogen, cauterization, or topical treatments like aldara (imiquimod topical cream)

if you have a wart get to a doctor and have it treated. A biopsy is not a bad idea but no always necessary

thanks for all of stories and questions I hope this site can help you fight your personal war on warts.

the wow team is committed to helping you with the most sensitive topics!

click find a physician for a team member physician in your area!

CDC’s Treatment Guidelines

WarOnWarts — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:53:27 +0000

Genital infection with low-risk types of HPV is associated with genital warts in men. Infection with high-risk types of HPV is associated with a proportion of preinvasive squamous lesions of the penis (penile intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN) and with penile cancer, as well as with preinvasive squamous lesions of the anus (anal intraepithelial neoplasia or AIN) and with anal cancer.

Invasive penile cancer is quite uncommon, especially in circumcised men.

In 2002, the age-adjusted incidence rate for penile cancer in the U.S. was 0.8 per 100,000 men (985 new cases). The age-adjusted incidence rate for anal cancer was 1.2 per 100,000 men (1,453 new cases). However, the risk of anal cancer for MSM is significantly higher.

Because of the increased incidence of anal cancer in MSM, especially HIV-infected MSM, some specialists recommend screening for AIN by cytology in this population. However, there are limited data on the natural history of AIN, the reliability of screening methods, the safety and response to treatments, and the programmatic considerations that would support this screening approach.

Until more data are generated on screening for AIN, this screening approach is not recommended.

There is currently no FDA-approved HPV DNA test for males, nor is HPV testing of males recommended. There is no clinical utility in testing men for HPV; infection does not indicate increased risk of disease for the man or his partner. While HPV is common in men, HPV-associated cancers are rare.

There are no routine methods for culturing HPV. Serology tests are available for HPV, but these tests are used only in research settings. Many persons with detectable HPV DNA do not have antibodies, so these tests are not a good method to indicate infection with HPV.

While it is possible that vaccination of males with the HPV vaccine may offer direct health benefits to males and indirect health benefits to females, there are currently no efficacy data available to support use of HPV vaccine in males. Efficacy studies in males are ongoing.

Additional information is available on the CDC website at:

http://www.cdc.gov/STD/hpv/hpv-clinicians-brochure.htm

To access treatment guidelines for HPV and genital warts, please review CDC s 2006 STD Treatment Guidelines available online at:

- HPV Infection

http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/hpv.htm

- Genital Warts

http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/genital-warts.htm

The Male Pap Smear

WarOnWarts — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:54:57 +0000

In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, gay and bisexual men were found to have a significantly higher risk for developing anal cancer, over thirty-five times greater than the general population. HIV-positive men were estimated to be eighty times more likely to get it. Although anal cancer accounts for less than 5 percent of all digestive and intestinal tract cancers, the rates have increased 160 percent over a thirty- year period. Gay African-American men have the sharpest increase and the lowest survival rates. Interestingly, anal cancer in gay men is as common as cervical cancer was in women before the use of the Pap smear, the test that screens for precancerous lesions on the cervix. Both types of cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which also causes anal and genital warts. HPV is one of the most common STDs in the world. Fortunately, anal cancer is highly preventable and treatable if caught in time.

There are more then one hundred different subtypes of HPV, and some are the source of common warts as seen on the hands and feet. HPV affects approximately 65 percent of HIV-negative gay men, and nearly 95 percent of HIV-positive gay men carry HPV in their anal canals. Most do not even know they have it. Subtypes 6 and 11 cause 90 percent of genital warts, while subtypes 16 and 18 are far more dangerous because of their precancerous potential.

The lining of the anal canal, once infected with HPV, can reproduce uncontrollably if left untreated. In most cases, the immune system clears the infection naturally, but in a small number of cases, usually over many years, HPV can cause changes in the cells of the anus and rectum that can lead to cancer. The Pap smear is something that should be offered to all gay men. In March 2007, the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Division of Infectious Diseases, issued the following recommendation concerning anal Pap smear.

Clinicians should perform anal Pap tests at baseline and annually in the following populations:

1. Men who have sex with men

2. Any patient with a history of anal or genital warts

Clinicians should refer patients with abnormal anal Pap test findings for high- resolution anoscopy and/or examination with biopsy. Like cervical cancer, invasive squamous cell cancers of the anal canal are associated with certain types of HPV infection, most notably, HPV-16 and HPV- 18. Although this is a new practice that may not be routinely available, screening for cellular dysplasia is recommended, particularly in persons at high risk for infection with papilloma viruses.

There are various ways to treat genital and anal warts depending on the size and location. Topical medications, like podofilox & Imiquimod (Aldara) can sometimes be used. Cryotherapy, electrodesiccation, application of trichloroacetic acid or bichloroacetic acid and interferon injections are just some of the many treatment options that should be discussed with your physician.

The anal Pap smear is a simple test that is performed by your doctor in his office. It involves swabbing the anus with a Dacron swab, which looks like a long Q-Tip. The swab is then smeared on slides and sent to the pathologist. This test is so important because there are many different types of HPV. The most common are types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Certain subtypes, specifically 16 and 18, are considered precancerous. As a patient, you should report any cauliflower-like lesions that develop on your skin because HPV can show up on your penis, anus, and even your tongue.

In 2006, Merck & Co delivered the first vaccine for HPV called Gardasil. It is a quadrivalent vaccine, which means it works on HPV subtypes 6, 11, 16, and 18, and it is given in three separate injections over six months. Currently, the vaccine is indicated only for women, but the majority of gay health- care providers are urging their gay male patients to consider this vaccine, especially those men who are HIV positive or have a history of HPV. At this time the vaccine is not covered by insurance and would have to be paid for out of pocket. Presently, Merck is studying this vaccine in 4,000 young men, including those who engage in sex with other men, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is evaluating the response to Merck’s vaccine in preteen HIV- positive boys and girls.

adapted from source: http://www.advocate.com/health/healthstory_ektid61607.asp?Category=Health+%26+Treatments

Using Liquid Nitrogen To Treat HPV

WarOnWarts — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:25:00 +0000

by: Michelle Lipke

Liquid nitrogen is a popular destructive treatment for warts. It is readily available in both dermatology and primary care offices. Verucca-Freeze and many similar brands available over the counter are a liquid applied from a spray can, but only freeze to -70C. Warts may not resolve with the over the counter freezing due to the fact that they do not freeze as fast as the liquid nitrogen available in the clinic setting; as well as the proper application technique may not always be used. The wart virus, known as human papilloma virus (HPV), is not destroyed by the freezing procedure. Liquid nitrogen freezes at -196C and works by destroying the skin cells which in turn release the wart virus. They body responds to this process by causing an immune response to resolve the wart.

The cryo-spray gun and cotton wool bud are the two main methods for treating common warts with liquid nitrogen. Different providers often have a personal preference of which method they choose to perform this treatment. There was no difference in cure rate between cryo-spray gun and cotton wool bud for warts treated every two weeks for three months.

Warts need to be frozen until 1-2 mm of surrounding skin turns white. Repeat freezing after thawing may cause more effective tissue damage for some wart locations to help them resolve. Paring the wart down with a scalpel or razor blade may reduce callous which can act as an insulator reducing the effect of the freeze. Warts are usually treated on average of every two weeks, but sometimes the interval of treatment can depend on how a patient responds to the freezing in regard to side effects.

The common side effects from liquid nitrogen include redness, swelling, blistering and pain. Plantar wart treatment may temporarily reduce the ability to walk due to pain and blistering. Excessive blistering may create a ring recurrence around the treated wart which is thought to be caused by bordering dormant wart virus. The freezing may cause lightening or darkening of the skin after the wart has resolved, especially in dark skinned individuals. Deeper structures such as tendons, nerves and veins can be damaged with treatment that is too aggressive.

Ahmed I, Agarwal S, Ilchyshyn A, Charles-Holmes S, Berth-Jones J. Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy of common warts: cryo-spray vs. cotton wool bud. Br J Dermatol 2001;144:1006-1009.

Sterling JC, Handfeld-Jones S, Hudson JM, British Association of Dermatologists. Guidelines for the management of cutaneous warts. Br J Dermatol 2001;144:4-11.

The HPV Vaccine – Video

WarOnWarts — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:39:35 +0000

A Vaccine for Boys to Help Girls?

WarOnWarts — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:51:35 +0000

As a parent of a school-age daughter, I haven’t decided what to think about the new cervical cancer vaccine. That’s why I was interested to learn the shot may soon be given to boys primarily to benefit girls.

Merck’s Gardasil vaccine is approved for use in girls and women, ages 9 to 26, to protect them against the human papillomavirus, or H.P.V., which causes cervical cancer. Girls can be vaccinated when they are as young as 9, although it’s recommended for 11- and 12-year-olds, before they are sexually active.

But as my colleague Jan Hoffman reported yesterday in the Sunday Style section of The Times, the vaccine could be approved by 2009 for boys as well. Although Gardasil also protects against genital warts, which are not life-threatening, the primary reason to extend approval to boys would be to prevent them from transmitting the virus to girls, thereby slowing the rates of cervical cancer. The concept is called “herd immunity.”

And the story raises the difficult question: Will parents of sons consent to a three-shot regimen that has been marketed as benefiting girls?

The story talks to parents who have mixed feelings about the idea, questioning whether they would subject their boys to a vaccine that ultimately wouldn’t benefit their son’s health. What would you do? Would you give your son a shot to lower a woman’s risk for contracting cervical cancer? Hypothetically, would you give your daughter a shot that could lower a man’s risk for prostate cancer?

source: NY Times