Guest guest Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 As an anal cancer survivor (14 years and counting....), I'd like to say Bravo! to all who have been encouraging us all to get our asses checked regularly, and who have been enlightened by Palefsky's pioneering studies with HPV and it's relationship to anal cancer in gay men. There are many straings of HPV, and a few of them, (perhaps someone with more expertise can say which) are known malignancy-causers, especially in the presence of immune suppression. I had anal warts electro-cauterized off in 1974, and ... they stayed away, but the HPV didn't and obviously remained dormant. As my CD4's dropped below 200, apparently something started growing in the anal canal that ... before anyone realized what it was, had invaded the sphinctor muscle. Fortunately CT scans showed that it hadn't spread to anywhere else, but I still had my groin lymph nodes radiated along with the tumor area, as well as having chemo. Somehow I have survived. I know of quite a few guys with HIV who had similar scenarios, who didn't. Long story short: even though there is no definitely cost-effective analysis yet of regular anal paps, (as there definitely is for women and cervical paps) and even though early treatment of AIN (anal intracellular neoplasia) or more commonly called dysplasia, mild, medium, or high grade is still not conclusive as to whether it can prevent actual carcinoma (of the squamous cell kind), I urge everyone to educate their docs about the need for anal paps, and if they don't know how, to contact Dr. Palefsky and Dr. Berry at the Mt. Zion Anal Dysplasia Clinic, for instruction on how to perform the pap, and...get referred to them, as they use culposcopy to do their biopsies, if paps come back abnormal. I firmly believe anal cancer is preventable, and early detection and treatment is the key. Knowledge is definitely powerful. ~ ======== >Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 08:12:42 -0500 > >Subject: HPV anal cancer > >Absolutely! And be proactive with yourself. Talk to your doctor about >your concerns. Even if you're not aware of it, as an HIV postive gay >man, the chances that you carry HPV are very high. > >JB >On Mar 29, 2004, at 6:33 AM, lipodystrophy wrote: > >> What can we do? Act up and go to >> your local CAB mtgs to make sure our needs aren't cut along with the >> budgets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Some good information on this subject can be found at this site: http://www.gayhealth.com/templates/1080672768555249823256/general/canc er/index.html > > > >> What can we do? Act up and go to > >> your local CAB mtgs to make sure our needs aren't cut along with the > >> budgets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Further information is available through the s Hopkins Anal Dysplasia Clinic Website They are one of five specialized centers that look at this. Standard of Care is now becoming in Gay Men/Women over 40 with HIV/HPV that a Anal Pap smear is done annually and sent to pathology for reading.Abnormalities are then referred to the Anal Dysplasia Clinic Dr Ciro s for a Anoscopy and possible biopsy. There appears to be a increase incidence of anal cancer as PLWHAs live longer with the advent of HAART. Check out this web Site: http://www.hopkins-aids.edu/publications/report/may01_3.html www.hopkins-aids.edu/publications/report/may01_3.html JL ~ DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2004 Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 http://www.gayhealth.com/templates/1080672768555249823256/general/cancer/index.html Last Updated: Wednesday, June 6th 2001 With all due respect ... the gayhealth.com site says a lot, but... hasn't been updated since 6/01... It is now known that several varieties of HPV (#16 and #18) are the most likely culprits in malignancies, while others (and there are over 70) just seem to be less active and invasive. A simple swab viral culture of your HPV can tell you which variant you have, which may or may not warrant closer screening. This test may only be available at research sites, or dysplasia clinics. For the experts on anal dysplasia, visit the site of the UCSF researchers dysplasia clinic at: http://cc.ucsf.edu/clinical/dysplasia.html and general questions and answers at: http://cc.ucsf.edu/clinical/dysplasia_qus.html Also...this page in The Body has a good info page on anal cancer: http://www.thebody.com/step/spring01/analhealth.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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