Do you know? HPV is the source of these cancers

What is HPV (Human Papillomavirus)?

HPV is a group of more than 200 types of related viruses, some of which are spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex.

Sexually transmitted HPV types are divided into two categories, low-risk and high-risk.

Low-risk HPV does not primarily cause disease. However, some low-risk HPV types can cause warts on or around the genitals, anus, mouth, or throat. In rare cases, they can cause recurrent episodes of respiratory papillomatosis, a disease in which benign tumors grow in the airways.

High-risk HPV can cause many types of cancer. There are about 14 high-risk HPV types. Two of these, HPV16 and HPV18, are responsible for the majority of HPV-related cancers.

HPV infection is common: Almost all sexually active people get HPV almost immediately after becoming sexually active. About half of these infections are in people at high risk for the HPV type.

Most HPV infections don't cause cancer: Your immune system normally controls HPV infections so they don't cause cancer.

Persistent high-risk HPV infection can lead to cancer: Sometimes HPV infection is not successfully controlled by the immune system. When a high-risk HPV infection persists for many years, it can cause cellular changes that, if left untreated, can get worse over time and develop into cancer.

HPV vaccination can prevent cancer: The HPV vaccine can prevent infection with HPV types that prevent many cases of HPV-related cancers and genital warts.

Cancer caused by HPV infection

Long-term infection with high-risk HPV can lead to cancer in parts of the body where HPV-infected cells are present, such as the cervix, oropharynx (the part of the throat at the back of the mouth, including the soft palate, base), tongue and tonsils, anus, rectum, penis, vagina, and vulva. HPV infects the squamous cells that line the inner surfaces of these organs. Therefore, most HPV-related cancers are a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Some cervical cancers arise from HPV infection of the gland cells of the cervix and are called adenocarcinomas.

Cervical Cancer: Almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV.

Oropharyngeal cancer: Most oropharyngeal cancers (70%) in the United States are caused by HPV. The number of new cases is increasing every year, and oropharyngeal cancer is now the most common HPV-related cancer in the United States.

Anal cancer: More than 90 percent of anal cancers are caused by HPV. New cases and deaths from anal cancer are increasing every year.

Penile cancer: Most penile cancers (over 60%) are caused by HPV.

Vaginal cancer: Most vaginal cancers (75%) are caused by HPV.

Vulvar cancer: Most vulvar cancers (70%) are caused by HPV.

How is HPV spread?

HPV is spread through vaginal sex, anal and oral sex, and other intimate skin-to-skin contact. Infections are easily spread between sexual partners.

Does HPV infection cause symptoms?

High-risk HPV infection does not cause symptoms. Precancerous cell changes from persistent HPV infection in the cervix also do not cause symptoms. However, precancerous lesions in other parts of the body may cause symptoms. If an HPV infection develops into cancer, the cancer may cause symptoms.

Preventing HPV Infection with HPV Vaccination

For girls and young women, prevent cancer of the anus, cervix, vulva, and vagina from HPV; precancerous cell changes in the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus; and genital warts.

For boys and young men, prevent anal cancer, precancerous lesions, and genital warts.

HPV vaccination provides strong protection against new HPV infections, but the vaccine does not treat HPV infections or disease caused by HPV.

Screening for HPV and cellular changes caused by HPV

Screening tests are tests used to check for disease when there are no symptoms. Screening for cervical cancer is designed to detect changes in precancerous cells at an early stage, which can prevent cancer even before they become cancer. Currently, cervical cancer is the only HPV-caused cancer for which an FDA-approved screening test is available.

Screening for cervical cancer

Cervical Cancer Screening Test:

Checking cervical cells for high-risk HPV types in an HPV test

Pap test detects changes in cervical cells that can be caused by high-risk HPV types

Changes in high-risk HPV and cervical cancer cells examined at HPV/PAP cotest

These screening ages and intervals apply to most women:

Ages 21-29: Pap test every 3 years.

Ages 30-65: Screen using one of the following tests:

HPV testing every 5 years

HPV/PAP every 5 years

Pap test every 3 years

Over 65: If you are screened regularly and your most recent test results were normal, you may be told that you no longer need to be screened for cervical cancer.

Screening for other HPV-related cancers

There are currently no FDA-approved tests to detect HPV infection or HPV-induced changes in the tissue cells of the anus, rectum, vulva, vagina, penis, or oropharynx. However, there is evidence that anal PAP testing may be helpful in detecting early cellular changes or precancerous cells in people at higher risk for HPV infection, such as men who have sex with men or HIV-positive men. In an anal Pap test, a sample of cells from the anus is checked for abnormal cells.

Treatment of cellular changes caused by HPV infection

Although HPV infection itself is untreatable, treatments exist for precancerous cellular changes caused by high-risk HPV infection.

Changes in cervical precancerous cells: Most women with precancerous changes in cervical cells are treated with loop electrosurgical excision (LEEP), a method of removing abnormal tissue.

Precancerous vaginal, vulvar, penile, and anal lesions; genital warts; and benign respiratory tumors: Treatment options include topical medications, surgical excision, cryosurgery, and LEEP.

HPV-related cancers: Individuals who develop HPV-related cancers often receive the same treatments as patients with tumors in the same site unrelated to HPV infection. However, patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer may receive different treatments than patients whose oropharyngeal cancer is not caused by HPV.

How does HPV cause cancer?

Once high-risk HPV infects cells, it interferes with the way those cells communicate with each other, causing the infected cells to multiply in an uncontrolled fashion. These infected cells are normally recognized and controlled by the immune system. However, sometimes infected cells remain and continue to grow, eventually forming areas of precancerous cells that can become cancer if left untreated. Studies have found that HPV-infected cervical cells can take 10 to 20 years or more to develop into cancerous tumors.

In women whose cervical cells are infected with high-risk HPV, several factors increase the chance that the infection will last and lead to cervical precancerous cells:

gave birth to many children

Long-term use of oral contraceptives

smoking

Bioperfectus is coming up with series diagnostic solution of combined detection for cervical cancer.

(1) JC80402-NWO-50T. CE Marked

The Bioperfectus Technologies Human Papillomavirus Real Time PCR Kit is intended for the in-vitro qualitative detection of nucleic acids of 18 HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 73, 53, 82, and 26) in cervical exfoliated cells, and genotyping for HPV16 and HPV18, but not for the other HPV types.

(2) JC80301-NWO-48T. CE Marked

The Bioperfectus Technologies Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Genotyping Real Time PCR Kit is an in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit used for the detection of 21 different Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in patient specimens. The test specifically identifies 18 high-risk HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45,51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 26, 73, and 82) and three low-risk HPV types (6, 11, and 81).