The Prevent Cancer Foundation Blog » Anal Cancer http://blog.preventcancer.org Information about Foundation events and interests. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:28:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Dramatic Increase in Anal Cancer Cases and Deaths http://blog.preventcancer.org/2013/dramatic-increase-in-anal-cancer-cases-and-deaths/ http://blog.preventcancer.org/2013/dramatic-increase-in-anal-cancer-cases-and-deaths/#comments Thu, 04 Apr 2013 23:00:19 +0000 Ashley http://blog.preventcancer.org/?p=10181 A new study shows the number of people in the U.S. with anal cancer has tripled since the 1970s. Researchers reviewed a collection of data on the most common type of anal cancer cases in the U.S. from 1973 to 2009, and were surprised by the dramatic increase in cases. Although both sexes saw an increase in anal cancer, the rate for men jumped most dramatically – from one in every 100,000 men to three in every 100,000. Researchers suggest that an increase in detection among high-risk groups, such as those with HIV or human papillomavirus (HPV), may account for the rise in anal cancer.

Read the full Reuters article

]]> http://blog.preventcancer.org/2013/dramatic-increase-in-anal-cancer-cases-and-deaths/feed/ 0 HPV Cancers a Concern for Both Men and Women http://blog.preventcancer.org/2012/hpv-cancers-a-concern-for-both-men-and-women/ http://blog.preventcancer.org/2012/hpv-cancers-a-concern-for-both-men-and-women/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:34:22 +0000 Jim http://blog.preventcancer.org/?p=7008 Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer, but it also causes oral, anal and penile cancer. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) using data collected from 2004-2008, HPV causes 18,000 cancer cases in women and 8,000 cancer cases in men annually.

HPV prevention has become a concern for both men and women. Receiving an HPV vaccine before becoming sexually active is the leading way to prevent the disease. Vaccines have been approved and recommended for teen girls since 2006, but less than a third of all teenage girls have completed the three doses by 2010. Vaccines were just recommended for teen boys last year so statistics are unavailable.

The study found men are more likely than women to contract HPV oral cancer and women are at higher risk for HPV anal cancer. HPV causes over a third of penile cancers, two-thirds of oral cancers and over 90% of anal cancers.

Read the full WebMD article.

]]> http://blog.preventcancer.org/2012/hpv-cancers-a-concern-for-both-men-and-women/feed/ 0 Vaccine Approved by FDA to Prevent Anal Cancer http://blog.preventcancer.org/2010/vaccine-approved-by-fda-to-prevent-anal-cancer/ http://blog.preventcancer.org/2010/vaccine-approved-by-fda-to-prevent-anal-cancer/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:58:13 +0000 Jim http://blog.preventcancer.org/?p=2801 Yesterday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took action to move cancer prevention forward with the approval of a vaccine for prevention of anal cancer and anal intraepithelialneoplasia (AIN) due to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18 in males and females ages 9 to 26. The vaccine has been approved previously in other indications, for the prevention of cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancer in women of the same age range.

Incidence of anal cancer in the United States is low, but rising. This year, there have been about 5,300 new cases and about 700 deaths. Last year, anal cancer took the life of actress Farrah Fawcett.

The vaccine prevents several strains of HPV, a virus which causes about nine out of every 10 cases of anal cancer, as well as cervical and vaginal cancer in women.

There are no standardized screening recommendations for anal cancer for the general population.  Approval of the vaccine provides health care professionals with an important tool in prevention of anal cancer.  Visit www.preventcancer.org for more information about HPV and cancer prevention.

]]> http://blog.preventcancer.org/2010/vaccine-approved-by-fda-to-prevent-anal-cancer/feed/ 0 Farrah Fawcett’s Death Sheds Light on Anal Cancer http://blog.preventcancer.org/2010/get-screened-2/ http://blog.preventcancer.org/2010/get-screened-2/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:14:38 +0000 PCF Admin http://pcf.wicked-pr.com/?p=11 With the recent death of Farrah Fawcett, anal cancer has become an unlikely and uncomfortable topic of conversation across America. Since one of the cornerstones of the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s mission is education, the Foundation wanted to provide some answers to questions about this often shunned cancer to help educate the public and lift some myths about this often-fatal cancer. By knowing some basic facts, people will be armed with knowledge and better equipped to be an advocate for taking steps to reduce their own cancer risk.

Anal cancer is an uncommon type of cancer that occurs in the anal canal. Anal cancer is relatively rare, with 5,290 cases (2,100 occurring in men and 3,190 in women) diagnosed and about 700 deaths in the United States each year. Yet, statistics aside, there are still some things unknown, such as how to improve treatments. What is known is that anal cancer is strongly linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), the same virus that is also linked to cervical cancer and oral cancer.

Q. What is anal cancer?

  • Anal cancer is cancer located in the anus or anal canal, the tube at the end of the rectum through which bowel movements leave the body. It is not a common cancer. In 2009, 5,290 people will be diagnosed with anal cancer, compared to 146,970 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer, or cancer of the colon and rectum.

Q. How do people get anal cancer?

  • Anal cancer is strongly linked to certain types of HPV, a virus that spreads through anal sex with an HPV-infected partner. HPV is also linked to cervical cancer and oral cancer. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S., and “you can’t always tell by looking” whether a person has HPV. While many people may become infected with HPV, most people’s immune systems get rid of the virus before it does any harm. Having anal sex with someone who has HPV may put a person at risk of becoming infected with HPV. Some people who are infected with HPV may develop growths inside or outside the anus, and some growths may develop into cancer. Anal cancer may also develop as cells in the lining of the anal canal start to grow and multiply in abnormal ways.

These factors also increase the risk for anal cancer:

  • Smoking
  • Having cervical cancer
  • Having a weakened immune system (such as from chemotherapy, organ transplantation or HIV infection)
  • Having inflammatory bowel disease, or hemorrhoids or other noncancerous growths

Q. How can people protect themselves from anal cancer?

  • The main factor associated with anal cancer is HPV, a sexually transmitted virus. Many studies have found HPV in anal cancer tumors. The most important way people can protect themselves from anal cancer is to avoid infection with HPV, by not having anal sex or by using condoms correctly and consistently during anal sex. However, condoms cannot give complete protection against HPV because the virus can infect areas that are not covered by a condom. Also, condoms are more likely to break during anal sex than during vaginal sex. Some researchers think that the HPV vaccine may help protect people against anal cancer, as it helps to protect women from cervical cancer. Not smoking is also protective, and people who stop smoking do reduce their risk for anal cancer.

These answers draw on information from the National Cancer Institute at www.cancer.gov and the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org

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