My stepmom has the human papaloma virus?

Question

I was just wondering what the virus is? My stepmom was just diagnosed with cirvical cancer and the doctors said it was caused by the virus. I know that its a sexually transmitted disease but really how long do you have to have this virus before it turns into cancer, and is it like any other STD? I just want some info so that I understand. Thanks

Answer 1

http://www.human-papilloma-virus.com/


It is the best website I could find for information I do hope it helps you understand better, and good luck...

Answer 2

I'm sure the period from contracting it to the point it becomes cancerous is within years more than anything. I'll get back to you.

Fredrik F. Broekhuizen, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, explains that together, two 'high risk' types of HPV - Types 16 and 18 - are responsible for 70% of all cases of cervical cancer in the US.

Two others, Type 6 and Type 11, cause up to 90% of genital warts. They are considered 'low risk'.

Gardasil protects girls and women from these four HPV types. It will not prevent the effects of existing HPV infection, but it will guard against any of the four HPV types that are not present prior to vaccination. If a patient already has HPV type 11, for example, the vaccine provides no benefit for type 11 but it will still protect against types 6, 16 and 18. (Another HPV vaccine will soon enter the market; it only works against HPV Types 16 and 18.)

So basically if a woman has a annual Pap test- she should be caught in time.
They are called papillomaviruses because certain types may cause warts, or papillomas, which are benign (noncancerous) tumors.

Only HPV infections that are persistent (do not go away over many years) can lead to cervical cancer. In 2006, an estimated 10,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with this type of cancer and nearly 4,000 will die from it. Cervical cancer strikes nearly half a million women each year worldwide, claiming more than a quarter of a million lives. Studies also suggest that HPVs may play a role in cancers of the anus, vulva, vagina, and some cancers of the oropharynx (the middle part of the throat that includes the soft palate, the base of the tongue, and the tonsils). Data from several studies also suggest that infection with HPV is a risk factor for cancer of the penis.

Answer 3

There are over 120 different kinds of HPV (Human Papillomavirus). About 30 of those kinds are sexually transmitted and can cause cancer (including cervical cancer) and warts (including genital warts). For most people HPV is pretty harmless, but for some people their HPV can lead to cancer and warts. In the absence of Pap testing or treatment, about 1% of women with genital HPV infections will eventually go on to develop cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is most common in women over the age of 50. Precancerous changes on the cervix occur most commonly between the ages of 30 and 50.

Screening for cervical cancer is the best way to prevent it, and statistics show that 90% of cervical cancers are preventable for women who have a Pap smear every two years. Cervical cancer deaths are higher in countries were women do not have access to routine Pap smears, and in developing countries cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women.

Check out the links below for more information about HPV and cervical cancer:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hpv
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_cancer
http://www.gardasil.com/risk-for-hpv.html?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=GL048