Question
Will my anal warts lead to cancer?
24 August 2010. Related: All topics, Complications and coinfections, Drug interactions, Opportunistic infections.
I have been prescribed aldara cream for 2 small warts just inside my rectum, I’m on Atripla with a CD4 count of 700, is the cream safe and effective? Also should I be worried about anal cancer with these warts? I’m male 40 and have been positive for about 3 and half years.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
The Aldara cream is fine to use and will not interact with your medication.
There has been studies to show links between HIV, warts and anal/cervical cancers. Warts are caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are lots of different sub-types of HPV. Some of these sub-types are associated with cancers. You should speak to your doctor about having a test to know which type of HPV is responsible for your warts and to get a clearer idea of the risks involved.
For more information on anal cancer in HIV positive people please follow this link.
Please I have anal warts but treated it on 2015 since then the warts reduced in numbers but since last two years I still see blood in my tissues after wiping my ass, and some discharges and it itches alot attimes not always please what kind of wart is this, and us it dangerous to as life threatening
And I discovered I was HIV positive last three years, and I started the treatment this year,… Please I need answers to this.
Hi Costel,
As with any symptom it’s important to talk to your doctor about this bleeding and removal of warts. This sounds like it is very unpleasant to deal with and your doctor should be able to tell you how this can be dealt with.
I have a great concern for the warts that i have had for close to 3yrs come this october. i had treatment in which they were able o cure he outer ones, however the inner once, the treatment did not work. so my question is, with and wart is comes off when your using the restroom by wiping (this is 2x now that it has happened) is there serious concern i need to be aware of? when it come off, the amount of blood that i see, scares me GREATLY!!!!
Yes this is fine. You should talk to your doctor about a pap smear test. If the type of wart you have is one that could become cancerous then your doctor may recommend treatment.
If one is HIV positive and has anal warts, can he decide not to treat the warts but still decide to do the anal pap smear just to make sure he hasn’t got a cancerous cell?
Edo
I am sorry to hear that the treatment for warts was too painful for you. It is common for people to find it a painful treatment. There are other treatments you can use aside from the chemical creams such as podophyllotoxin. These treatments include freezing the warts using liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy), surgical removal under local anaesthetic or burning the warts off. These treatments may depend on where you have the warts and how accessible they are. Alternatively you could ask for these warts to be tested to see what type they are. If they are the non-cancerous type you could just leave them.
I am 32 years old female with anal warts since 2003. My doctor tried treating it with podophiline solution but I couldn’t bear the treatment because it was to painful. Since then I have never tried to restart the treatment. The warts are still visible although they have reduced in size and in number. Coupled with this, I have been on antiretroviral drugs for close to five years now. Can you please give better advice on what to do with regards to my situation which is frightening me. Please I need your help because I can’t sleep
Thanks Slavoline
Many thanks Charlotte. Much appreciated – I’ll look into this. Best wishes to everyone at i-base!
That’s a very interesting question. The HPV vaccine (either Gadasil or Cervarix) is a good idea for gay men to avoid anal warts and anal cancers. However, the NHS are currently only offering the vaccine to girls aged 9-26. Anyone not included in this group is having to pay privately. Private clinics are offering the vaccine at a cost between £200-£300 for the full 3 doses which should cover someone for approximately 6 years. Testing for HPV should be available at your nearest GUM clinic.
Given the increased risk to people with HIV would you recommend the HPV vaccine (Gadasil) for gay men. Are there any private clinics that can test to see if a person has already been exposed to the virus or is it available on NHS?
Many thanks again for providing such a great resource.