Anal Cancer: 3 Alarming Symptoms You Didn’t Know About

• Bleeding during bowel movements.
• Pain.
• The appearance of the lump.

If these symptoms occur, it is important to see a doctor. Many times the fact confuse this with haemorrhoidsand downplay it, or out of shamea person will not check for these signs. “If the bleeding continues and you notice a painful lump, you should see a doctor,” says Centeno.

Usually we will detect red blood The number will vary depending on the location of the tumor, such as whether it is right at the entrance to the anus or inside the canal, 2 or 3 centimeters away. Centeno explains that YesAs the cancer grows, so will the bleeding. In fact, the lack of evidence to prevent the disease in women means that 45% of anal cancer cases are diagnosed at late stages (3 and 4).

Prevention in women

Preventing this cancer or detecting it early is difficult. Being a cancer so little known and common Little has been done to prevent this, although research is being conducted. “It is a cancer similar to cervical cancer because it has the same etiology, that is, It all starts with HPV infection. “It is not curative, and over time in old age, precancerous lesions may develop first, and then cancer.”

Centeno explains that you will have to analyze which women are at greatest risk development of anal cancer. There are no conclusions at this time, but it has been established that women who have had cancer HPV on the cervix, vagina or vulva and women who have had a transplant and are receiving immunosuppressants have an increased risk of developing anal cancer.

In numbers, In 41% of women with HPV16 infection, the same virus is also present in the anus. which increases the risk of developing anal cancer in the sixth and seventh decades of life.

Prevention in men

It is still known that HIV-positive men who have sex with men have higher risk of anal cancer“This group of men has the same incidence of anal cancer as women. mammary cancer. Research began there on how to prevent this in this group.”

For now, research is focused on implementing an approach similar to cytology is performed on women with cervical cancer. By performing periodic cytology, it is possible to eventually find out whether a precancerous lesion has occurred. “If we diagnose and treat this disease, we can prevent anal cancer. This is what is starting to be shown: treating precancerous lesions can reduce the risk of anal cancer in this group of patients,” says Centeno.

How does infection occur?

Any type of sexual intercourse, including vaginal, causes infection of the anus.

“It doesn’t have to be anal sex. That’s what the latest research suggests. This infection can also occur when going to the toilet and wiping after a bowel movement. Since the vagina and anus are separated by a few centimeters, it’s very likely that both the vagina and anus will become infected,” explains Centeno.

squamous cell lesions caused by HPV virus They usually appear in the cervix at around 30–35 years of age, and in the vagina, vulva, and anus at around 50–60 years of age. If these lesions are not detected in time, they can lead to cervical or anal cancer.

Treatment of anal cancer

“We are currently working on the same tests as for HPV, which is the HPV test, cytology and biopsy to complete the diagnosis,” says Centeno.

Once detected, precancerous lesions are difficult to treat. Typically, when a precancerous lesion caused by HPV is detected, the area is removed without sexual or reproductive impact. “The problem is that We cannot remove part of the anus because in some cases it can affect digestion, daily life and sexual life. That’s why treatment is less aggressive and consist of application of a local, corrosive or thermal substance to the detected damage.

Radiation therapy may also be used: “This is a tumor that responds very well to radiation therapy. To increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy, chemotherapy is prescribed. If there are no results, then surgery will have to be done. This is an aggressive treatment. We are interested in diagnosing tumors as soon as possible so that they can be treated with radiation therapy and normal life can continue.”

HPV vaccination

Anal cancer occurs in 80-85% of cases are caused by human papillomavirus 16 and 18. Both strains of the virus are included in the vaccine recommended for girls and boys ages 12 to 18. “When these kids are 60 or 70, we’ll see that they no longer have anal cancer, but that’s 50 years for girls and 60 for men,” says Centeno.