HPV AND CANCER

What is HPV: HPV is a human papilloma virus which affects all the mucosal surface of cervix, vagina, vulva, oral cavity and anal canal.

It can remain dormant for years ,later causing cancer. The unique feature of this virus affecting the cervix is that it can remain in the cervical cells for a very long time, sometimes decades, and then manifest in the form of pre cancer lesions on the cervix. Almost always it can be detected at this level itself, since the affected female shows signs like white discharge, post coitus bleeding, intermenstrual bleeding etc

There are 200 different types of HPV viruses. only few are very potent to cause cancer alone. Many require other virus also to act together to rapidly take over the host cells

Detection of HPV: it is done by HPV DNA testing through a special LIQUID PAP TEST

Treatment: Requires expertise and a specially trained surgeon in colposcopy with a colposcope

During the time , when a female shows signs of viral affection, she should be screened with PAP cytology and HPV DNA testing.

If virus is detected or screen shows abnormal cells, she requires o undergo procedure called colposcopy and then needs to get treated by excision of affected cells.

This would help her in preventing a cancer in the future

Can it be prevented: YES! by use of special vaccines