Last week nine million Americans tuned in to view Farrah's Story, the moving account of Farrah Fawcett and her struggle with anal cancer. I know I watched the self-produced documentary specifically to see if they would mention the connection between anal cancer and HPV. Unfortunately, it never came.
It is believed that 90% of anal cancers are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. Anal cancer, while still not high on the list with approximately 3000 new cases diagnosed each year is on the rise. While it is possible that Ms. Fawcett's anal cancer was not caused by HPV, statistically that is likely not the case.
She did however have the courage to expose the horrific procedures associated with treating the disease and increase awareness of a cancer which is too taboo to be spoken about. Many news accounts of her cancer initially referred to it as a colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer and anal cancer are not the same thing. After the airing, one particular news channel once again began the drum beat about colorectal screening.
The healthcare profession, on the whole, is sorely lacking in its knowledge and understanding of HPV. This compromises patient care and the potential health if not life of the patient.
As someone who has survived anal cancer it was difficult for me to watch this documentary as it evoked all those memories of what I had gone through myself and am continuing to go through now dealing with a recurrence.
I'm sure everyone has seen at least one Gardasil commercial, the vaccine which can help to prevent cervical cancer, and as the commercial says "other HPV diseases". Unfortunately it does not go on to mention what those other HPV diseases are. They include vaginal, vulvar, anal and penile cancers caused by high risk strains of HPV (typically 16 and 18) as well as genital warts caused by the low risk strains of HPV (typically 6 and 11). Most women, and men as well, have no idea that HPV is also related to these other cancers. It is for that reason, that I had hoped a public service announcement at the conclusion would have been so instrumental in increasing awareness that anal cancer can be preventable just like cervical cancer.
The fact that Ms. Fawcett asks why more research is not done on certain cancers (presuming she is referring to anal cancer) I have to wonder if she was even tested for HPV as she certainly didn't seem to be aware of its existence or its role in the development of this cancer.
Note that the Gardasil commercial does not mention that HPV is sexually transmitted. Obviously this would not create a stampeed to the doctor's office to obtain the vaccine. But, shifting the focus away from the root mode of transmission and focusing on the potential cervical cancer can certainly induce more young women to receive the vaccine which is currently approved by the FDA for those age 9 to 26.
Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached not only to this particular body part but to the sexual transmission of the virus as well. Hopefully in the near future, we will be able to speak about anal cancer as easily as we do today about breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer. Only time will tell.
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October 27, 2011 - 12:17pmthehpvsupportnetwork.org (all conversations are private)
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I do not drink soda and drink plenty of water. I will have them keep a watch on "my girls" : ) Praying, also, for total healing.
October 27, 2011 - 11:32amThis Comment
Well good for you and your self advocacy! All too often patients undergo procedures and treatments which are unnecessary because of doctors who are not necessarily incompetent but who just aren't up on the most current information in the field. Many seem to want to do what THEY want to do instead of what you, the patient, is concerned about. They are not the ones living with YOUR complications or side effects you are and have every right to have each available treatment modality explained to you before you're expected to make any kind of informed decision. I'm glad to hear things are working out and that the effort you put in on your own behalf has paid off.
October 27, 2011 - 3:09amThis Comment
Well good for you and your self advocacy! All too often patients undergo procedures and treatments which are unnecessary because of doctors who are not necessarily incompetent but who just aren't up on the most current information in the field. Many seem to want to do what THEY want to do instead of what you, the patient, is concerned about. They are not the ones living with YOUR complications or side effects you are and have every right to have each available treatment modality explained to you before you're expected to make any kind of informed decision. I'm glad to hear things are working out and that the effort you put in on your own behalf has paid off.
October 27, 2011 - 3:09amThis Comment
While this may be of interest, it does not at all address links for all the research you stated you have done nor your statement that there does not exist a test for HPV.This seems more like a play to divert attention to other subjects.
October 26, 2011 - 12:35amWhile how we treat our bodies, awareness of pH, use of juicing, antioxidents and other such information has been known for some time, this does nothing to address your initial allegations regarding HPV which apparently you can't.
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Nearly 60. Get mammo/pap every year. I have had some anal leakage lately. I have had occasional bleeding, but I attribute this to possible hemorroids. I can feel tiny nodules at the base of my anal opening. I just had a pap smear recently and nothing was detected.
October 26, 2011 - 11:15pmAlso, I was just diagnosed w/R breast micro ductal carcinoma insitu cribform and comedo, none in surrounding tissue stage zero. I was sent to a surgeon who wanted to take out my LUMP and do radical 6 week radiation afterwards. Hello! I have no lump. A red flag went up! Radiation causes cancer!
I had to ask to see an oncologist, which is crazy! After she told me what the med profession recommends, I suggested checking for hormones in biopsy core samples (which I had researched online). There is treatment that starve erpr cancer. Well guess what? That is what they found. So tomorrow I start the erpr inhibitor pills (by oncologist). I want to take a proactive stance and get my body healthier. I have gotten really out of shape and am starting once more to juice, do Barley/alfalfa green and do no sugar in my diet. I am also exercising to get my body detoxing and energized. Also saw a nutritionist, but his page long recommendations are beyond my financial means right now. Any input is most welcome.
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Very informative
October 25, 2011 - 8:32pmThis Comment
Anonymous,
October 25, 2011 - 6:25pmWhat is unfortunate is the dissememination of incorrect information. Unfortunately your information is totally INCORRECT. There is indeed a test for HPV, at this point there are now several tests available to detect for HPV (DNA). The first one developed as by QIAGEN over ten years ago, (thehpvtest.com), one of the newest in cervista manufactured by Hologic and a newer genotype test called cobas. I wonder what your doctor would say about just what the "reflexive test" is when performing a woman's pap smear.
The problem regarding HPV is that it rarely shows symptoms so most people are not even aware they have it unless they have symptoms such as genital warts caused by low risk HPV and dysplasia and/or cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus and mouth by high risk HPV or it is picked up during routine screening usually during a pap smear.
HPV DNA inhabits your cells and omitting all the biology involved has properties that prevent the bodys tumor suppressor proteins from functioning. It basiclly becomes invisible to the immune system, and if invisible, it does not, at some point down the road kill off the virus. The virus can resurface months, years or decades later.
I don't know the sites you have gotten this erroneous information from but I certainly would like to and get them to correct this distribution of misinformation.
Simply going to (thehpvtest.com) will show prove that there is indeed an HPV test. Perhaps you should give this site to your doctor too if he told you there was no such test. I don't know his exact words and would give him the benefit of the doubt that there is some confusion in your understnding of his comments.
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somewhere in there you had said "I have to wonder if she was even tested for HPV " there is no test for hpv available however the only way to know if someone has or have had hpv is if they are showing symptoms like
October 25, 2011 - 5:18pmgenital warts
or anal cancer ect
my doctor told me this and all the research ive done had told me this also ... and even if the cancer or genital warts are cleared up and gone hpv can remain so there is no way of knowing if you still have the virus but i've also been told that your immune system will eventually kill off the hpv virus hope this information is useful
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Farrah was a great actor. It is sad to hear that Farrah died of anal cancer. Anal cancer is a very rare type of cancer. It affects the anal region. Mostly the symptoms are not detected but some signs include anal bleeding, itching, pain or pressure, unusual discharge, changes in bowel habits and the formation of lumps close to the anus. Safe sex practices should be followed to reduce the development of anal cancer.
April 9, 2010 - 2:07am(Website removed by EmpowHER Moderator.)
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