Ok, if a person has persistent HPV (showing up with each pap smear for at least 1 year or longer) will they definitely get cervical cancer at some point in their life? If you have a source (online or not) I would really appreciate it.....thank you! I found some good information from the American Social health Association HPV Resource Center... an article on the myths of HPV. Here's what I found to be most relevant to your question:
"4. Myth: Genital warts lead to cervical cancer.
No one knows how many sleepless nights can be laid at the door of this myth. The truth, however, is that the fleshy growths we call genital warts are almost always benign. In the vast majority of cases, they do not lead to cancer, turn into cancer, or predispose a person toward developing cancer.
According to Katherine Stone, MD, a member of ASHA's HPV Scientific Advisory Committee, genital warts need not "raise a red flag with regard to cancer in anyone's mind."
There are more than 70 types of human papillomavirus, and most are quite specific in the sites they can invade and the pathology they can cause. Those most strongly associated with cancer are HPV types 16, 18, 31, 45, and, to a lesser degree, half a dozen others. These are known as the "high-risk" types, not because they usually or frequently cause cancer--in fact, cervical cancer is a rare disease in the United States today, and penile cancer even more so--but because, in the infrequent event that cancer does develop, it can usually be traced back to one of these types. Even so, it bears repeating: most women with high-risk HPV on their cervix will not develop cervical cancer.
As for ordinary genital warts, says Doug Lowy, MD, chief of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology at the National Cancer Institute, "These are caused by HPV types that are virtually never found in cancer." These are the "low-risk" types, 6, 11, 42, 43, and 44. When not causing genital warts they may cause a transient abnormality in Pap smear results, or most often produce no symptoms at all.
In practical terms, a man with genital warts is no more likely than any other sexually active man to transmit cancer-causing HPV types to a partner. Experts do recommend that a woman exposed to genital warts--or any other STD--have regular Pap smears. This is because she may have been exposed to high-risk HPV types during unprotected sexual activity. Regular Pap tests are also recommended for any sexually active woman, since HPV infection is very common. It is worth keeping in mind that both men and women may be infected with, and infectious for, high-risk HPV, regardless of whether or not they have genital warts.
5. Myth: An abnormal Pap smear means a woman is at high risk for cervical cancer.
First of all, an abnormal Pap smear can be caused by factors other than the presence of a high-risk HPV type. When a Pap test comes back as "abnormal," it means just that: Under the microscope, the appearance of a few cells in this sample differs in some way from the classic appearance of healthy, intact cervical cells.
The difference could be due to local irritation, a non-HPV infection, a low-risk HPV type, or even a mistake in the preparation of the cell sample. To help sort out the various possibilities, a woman with an abnormal Pap smear is often asked to come back to the doctor's office and have the test repeated. Most nonsignificant reasons for an abnormal result last only a short time, and so repeating the Pap test after a few months usually weeds these out.
Even if the result is again abnormal, this rarely means that cancer is imminent. In an overwhelming majority of cases, a truly abnormal Pap smear is due to pre-invasive disease, not invasive disease per se. Follow-up tests such as colposcopy and biopsy can help evaluate the abnormality and remove any potentially malignant cells. If further treatment is recommended, the patient and her physician usually have several options to consider, and time in which to consider them.
What if a woman with a persistently abnormal Pap smear does not receive treatment? This scenario is very unlikely in the developed countries, where the follow-up measures described above are standard practice. But even supposing that a woman went untreated after repeated abnormal Pap results, she still would have the odds on her side, because only one out of four cases of cervical lesions will progress to cancer if left on its own. And treatment is almost always successful in preventing cervical cancer if the abnormal cells are found in time.
But this very effective system of protection can work only when each woman takes responsibility for the first step herself, by having a Pap test at regular intervals. According to the National Cancer Institute, about half of women with newly diagnosed cervical cancer have never had a Pap smear, and another 10% have not had a smear in the past five years. "
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From what I could find, having recurrent infection of type 16 or 18 does not absolutely guarantee that a person will get cancer, but it is the clearest indicator that it's likely. I found a bunch of websites that all reiterate the same thing - persistent high risk infection is indicated in most cases of cervical cancer - but I can't find information on whether or not cervical cancer is ALWAYS present in people with recurrent high risk infection. I think that if there was a 100% correlation, it would be published everywhere, so that if a person finds out they have a particular type of HPV, they can take preventative measures (like women who test positive for the breast cancer gene get mastectomies before cancer is ever diagnosed).
This is the best website I found,... it's from the UK but the info is the same. http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_...
Here's a couple of quotes:
"Testing positive for a high risk HPV does not
guarantee that a woman will go on to develop
cervical cancer. It does, however, indicate that
she is at greater risk than a woman who tests
negative."
"It鈥檚 not certain why in some women,
persistent HPV infection causes more
serious problems than in others. There
are, however, identified co-factors
which increase the risk of cervical
cancer. These include smoking, having
more than four full term pregnancies
(Castellsague, 2003), experiencing
first intercourse at an early age,
having multiple sexual partners, or
having intercourse with a male partner
who has had multiple sexual partners,
and immune suppression.
There is limited evidence to suggest
that four or more years of oral
contraceptive pill use may have a role
(Castellsague, 2003). It鈥檚 more likely
that this is due to an effect on the
progression of disease in women with
HPV, rather than because of an
increased risk of infection" I have studied this from pathophysiology for nursing, and my cousin has cervical cancer.
It is important to get checks every 6 months, or whatever your Dr. recommends. Cervical cancer is usually very successfully treated when caught early, and usually only with cryotherapy. (They freeze off the bad cells.)
Other than that, there is no way to say anyone will "definitely" get cancer just because they have human papiloma virus. This is the same virus that causes the common wart, and genital warts. You can have the virus affect anywhere on your body, and never have cancer. But, you do have a higher risk. Keep healthy in all other ways you can!!! Good luck!!! No having a persistent HPV infection for a year or so does not guarantee that your HPV will progress to a cancer.
High risk HPV types are seen in cervical and other genital and oral cancers but most infections persist for several years before they progress to a cancer. Having our Pap along with the HPV test helps our doctor find and treat abnormal cells giving your body time to build antibodies to your HPV type or types.
Your doctor will recommend a treatment he feels that is best for you in removing the abnormal cell changes that HPV creates.
This link help you understand Cervical cell changes
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understand...
If I can provide more information please let me know.
I wish you well. No.
There are many different HPV strains. Only certain strains will lead to cervical cancer.
Some strains cause warts. Some strains cause cervical cancer. And some strains your body will resolve on its own.
Your doctor can order HPV testing (there are two different types) to see what type of HPV it is. Low-risk HPV is associated with genital warts and high-risk HPV is related to cervical cancer.
Current research estimates that at least 50% of sexually active people carry at least one strain of HPV and that about 80% of college-age girls carry at least one strain of HPV. HPV is transmitted through skin to skin contact, so you can protect yourself from HPV by using condoms during sexual activity, but condoms do not cover all areas, so it is still possible to contract HPV.
First, you had a pap test that showed some abnormal cells. Based on this result your healthcare provider will determine the best course of action to follow.
Your healthcare provider can order additional testing on your pap specimen to test for HPV. There are two tests available, DNA testing which will test for high risk HPV (which can lead to cervical cancer) and low risk HPV (which can lead to genital warts) and PCR testing which can test for both high and low risk HPV as well as medium risk HPV. Your healthcare provider may choose not to do this testing based on what your insurance will cover.
Your healthcare provider may choose to have you present in clinic for regular pap tests to monitor your cervical cells every three, four, or six months.
Your healthcare provider may elect for you to have a colposcopy. A colposcopy is where your healthcare provider will look at your cervix. You will lie on the exam table and have a speculum inserted as if you were having a pap test. Your healthcare provider will have a light to shine inside your vagina and possibly a camera where you can look at your cervix on a tv screen, if you would like. He or she will then use a large q-tip to rub a vinegar solution on your cervix, this does not hurt. If there are abnormal cells present, they will turn white. In this case, a biopsy will be taken, this will feel like a pinch, from the areas that turn white and possibly from the opening of your cervix. The biopsy will be sent to a pathologist to be evaluated.
Depending on the results, your healthcare provider may elect to have you come in regularly for pap tests or to have the abnormal areas cut or frozen off through a LEEP or cryotherapy and then follow up regularly to make sure all of the abnormal cells have been removed.
Once you have acquired a virus, it is with you forever. There is a vaccine available, Gardasil, to protect against four types of HPV, two of the types are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases and two of the types are responsible for 90% of genital warts cases. You have been exposed to one type of HPV, but probably haven't been exposed to all four types of HPV that Gardasil protects against. I encourage all females to receive Gardasil, please talk to your healthcare provider about this vaccine and he or she can help you determine if it is a good option for you.
Good luck. Your healthcare provider is the best person to address your questions and concerns. You have the right to have all of your concerns addressed during any part of your visits, so don't be afraid to ask questions. |
