The HPV vaccine is a remarkably successful program by any standard. Because it has essentially wiped out cases of cervical cancer in young women who get vaccinated, it has become closely associated with females, and with this particular strain of cancer.
Yet the HPV vaccine is also extremely effective against other medical conditions, most notably genital warts and anal cancer – a fact which is often lost in the broader conversation about these vaccines’ efficacy. It’s a shame especially because of the high frequency of anal cancers in young men – cancers which could have been avoided with the vaccine:
Of men with cancers caused by HPV, about 14 percent are anal cancers, according to Dr. Stephen Goldstone, a New York City surgeon and assistant clinical professor in surgery at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, who specializes in the treatment of cellular changes related to HPV. In a recent conversation, Dr. Goldstone stressed that men who have never had sex with other men can still get anal warts or cancer, but the substantial preponderance of HPV-related anal cancers occur in gay or bisexual men.
Getting the HPV vaccine and treating anal cancer are two very different things, and treatment like this is considerably more involved than treating something like hemorrhoids or anal fissure. To get proper care for these conditions, you must work closely with a proctologist who understands this region of the body, and can offer the very best technologies for diagnosis and recovery.
Dr. Maz Ghodsian is an expert in the treatment of hemorrhoids, anal warts, and anal cancer. Contact us today to learn more.
