new YORK (Reuters Health) – people than ever
had warts genitalia would have risk of developing
several types of cancer, perhaps including common tumors of
skin.
As well, a study published in Journal of Infectious Diseases
confirms some connections already known among the virus to
causes genital warts and certain cancers, and indicates that
there may be other risks.
Genital warts appear by infection with certain
strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus. Some of these
strains for which there are vaccines, they can also cause
cancers, such as the cervix.
But little is known about the relationship between HPV and certain
cancers of the mouth and throat, although several studies had
found that a large proportion of these cancers are due to the
HPV.
The new study, more than 49,000 adults of Denmark,
confirms these connections, said Dr. Susanne Kruger
Kjaer, Dinamarquesa society of Oncology, which participated
of the study.
In addition, the results suggest that HPV could influence in
the risk of developing skin cancers not melanoma, which are
the most common and curable types of skin cancer.
Kjaer team analyzed the clinical of some stories
33,000 women and about 16,000 men who had
diagnosed with genital warts in 30 years.
As expected, rates of cervical cancer,
anus, penis, vagina, mouth and throat were higher that the of the
general population.
The vast majority did not develop cancer during the study.
Less than 5 per cent (2.363 participants) developed some
tumor. Only to 305 were you diagnosed some of the cancers
associated with HPV.
Even so, some risk factors were higher that in the
general population. Men who had warts
genitals were 21 times more likely to develop anal cancer,
while in women it was eight times higher than that in the
rest of the population.
Rates of cancer of the cervix, penis, vagina, mouth and
throat ranged between 50 per cent and eight times higher
that in the general population.
The team also found some evidence that the
genital warts are associated with skin cancers not
melanoma: less than 1 per cent of the participants (440)
he developed some of these cancers skin, one proportion
higher than expected.
For Kjaer is possible that there is some connection between the
HPV and skin cancer nonmelanoma.
Given that the immune system acts against the
infections and cancer, could happen to the alteration of the
immune system in some way explain the persistent infection
by HPV and the appearance of the skin in some cancer
people.
But for now, it is only a hypothesis, as he clarified
Kjaer.
In United States, each year are diagnosed about 3.5
millions of skin tumors not melanoma, according to estimates the
American Society of Oncology.
The experts agree that the best to decrease the
risk of developing skin cancer is to reduce exposure to the
Sun, especially in light-skinned people. No one knows if the
prevention of HPV infection would have no effect.
Source: Journal of Infectious Diseases, online 15 March
2012
