HPV-16 and Anal Cancer

[MarkintheDark]

This is probably as good a place as any for me to draw on your experiences.  I'm a 26-year LTS.

I have anal warts that have worsened the past six months, and particularly the past month.  The pain became obvious during an unrelated hospitalization last fall, when I was prescribed topical pain relief.  So, too, tub baths have helped.

My doc did a PAP this week which came back positive for HPV-16.  He noted the visible external warts were probably pre-cancerous, but also noted there was nothing internally.  My additional concern, of course, is that the PAP is internal.  My understanding, too, is that HPV-16 is responsible for 92% of anal cancers.

He's scheduling me for a follow up with a proctologist.  I expect either cryotherapy or excision, plus biopsy.  tbh, I haven't quite digested all of this yet.

I'd like to hear from those of us who've gone through the process.

[edfu]

A PAP is only the first phase.  If that is positive, the next step must be a high-resolution anoscopy.  Unfortunately, not even  all proctologists perform this.  You should really try to find one who does.  Your doctor, who I presume is a GP, should not presume there is nothing internal without the anoscopy.  Cryotherapy or excision would indeed then follow after the anoscopy.  This is not necessarily a grievously horrific procedure.  Sometimes the troublesome areas are removed and then biopsied, and sometimes they are biopsied first and then removed if necessary.  It is all extremely
controversial, because no definitive standard procedure for anal cancer has been developed--and this is a medical scandal. 

[Grasshopper]

Ask for a AIN screening :https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5314201/

I have mine done every other year. Our hospital refers and encourages all male hiv+ patients to have such screening done

[flashdance]

Hey, peeps! Thanks for the heads up with this....I appreciate it!

[harleymc]

This is in response to  edfu

It is all extremely controversial, because no definitive standard procedure for anal cancer has been developed--and this is a medical scandal. 

Actually there was a high intervention / high rates of surgery intervention in place for years. However recent studies have shown that much surgery can be avoided by a monitor and wait and monitor approach.

The scandal was the high surgery rate that didn't have any evidence base.

[CanadianExpat1983]

Heard from my pharmacist that HPV vaccine GARDASIL makes the anal cancer less aggressive (better to get it even if you are already infected with high risk HPV genotypes).

[fabio]

Hang in there Flashdance.
It's a really painful thing I went through as well. My wart was internal and had reached 7 to 8 mm and it was incredibly painful and I would bleed (gush) out blood when going to the bathroom. My doc told me that the wart itself didn't show any malignancy in the labs,but it had malignant growth.
That was actually how I discovered my diagnosis. When I was at the gastroenterologist,he recommended I do an hiv test and it was positive. He told me I had  a buschke and Lowenstein giant wart. And it was probably the biggest thing that affected my psychology at the start of the diagnosis.
Anyways,I did surgery,removed the damn thing and now I had no problems since then it's been almost a year and a half since then.
Everything will go alright,things will get better. I hope you get better soon and you get rid of that thing. Sending all my positive energy to you ❤