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Gardasil Vaccination Against Anal Cancer

Benefits of colon cleansing - senior and medicine

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A Gardasil vaccination against anal cancer is a new health recommendation. Gardasil is a vaccine used to fight off infections from human papilloma virus or genital warts. It has been proven to prevent types 11, 6, 16 and 18 of human papilloma virus. These are the most common types you can get and if you add the incidence together, you get a reduction in the incidence of infection by 90 percent. It has been in use for several years for young girls and teens who want to protect themselves from getting this sexually transmitted disease.

Prevention

Recently the US FDA has approved Gardasil for the prevention of anal cancer. Anal cancer, unlike colon cancer and rectal cancer, is a cancer of skin and anal cells making it a sexually transmittable cancer. The Gardasil vaccination against anal cancer is able to reduce the risk of contracting anal cancer by reducing the risk of its underlying cause(s), including human papilloma viruses types 11, 6, 16, and 18.

The vaccine won’t prevent further change of anal precancerous lesions that have already started to occur. It is recommended that individuals from 9 to 26 be immunized in a three stage immunization that begins at month 0 and then goes on to month 2 and month 6.

What Is Anal Cancer?

Anal cancer, as mentioned, is a unique type of cancer that is much more rare than colorectal cancer. The risk factors of anal cancer are very different from those of colorectal cancer. Even the staging and treatments are different. Anal cancer is most commonly associated with anal sex, among other things and is classified as a squamous cell carcinoma that arises near the squamocolumnar junction of the anus (where it connects with the rectum).

About 5290 new cases of anal cancer occur each year. Around 3000 occur in women and the remainder occurs in men. It is usually found in adult patients around 60 years of age. About 710 individuals die from anal cancer each year. It is hoped that the incidence of anal cancer will decrease when more young people get immunized. The vaccination is currently available for human papilloma virus in young girls but its use has been expanded to include both men and women who are in their teens or early twenties.

Symptoms

Without the Gardasil vaccination against anal cancer, people can get anal cancer from a latent human papilloma virus infection, which may be palpable, visible or not visible at all. The symptoms of anal cancer include abdominal bloating, bowel habit changes, a lump near the anus, rectal bleeding, discharge or itching. It may cause back pain in women that extends into the vagina. It can also lead to vaginal dryness in women.

Ninety percent of cases of cervical cancer are also human papilloma virus positive. In homosexual men, about 100 percent of anal cancer is related to human papilloma virus the virus is related to anal cancer in 58 percent of heterosexual men. HPV-16 has been found in 84 percent of anal cancers examined under the microscope. Another Danish study showed that 90 percent of anal cancers are directly caused by HPV.

Gardasil immunization against anal cancer may be the next big wave of managing cancers of the anus. If used early enough in a person’s life, it can completely prevent cases of anal cancer.

Written by Christine Traxler - 12/27/10

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