HPV and Cancer: What You Need to Know

HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It is a very common virus. In fact, nearly all sexually active people are infected with some type of HPV at some point.

Most HPV infections cause no harm and go away on their own. But a few high-risk types can, over many years, cause cancer.

The good news: HPV-related cancers can often be prevented through vaccination and screening.

HPV is not one virus. It is a group of more than 200 related viruses.

The types that spread through intimate contact fall into two groups:

• High-risk types can cause cancer. There are about a dozen of these. Two of them, HPV 16 and HPV 18, cause most HPV-related cancers.
• Low-risk types rarely cause cancer, but some can cause warts.

Most people never know they have HPV, because it usually causes no symptoms.

When you get a high-risk HPV infection, your immune system usually clears it within a year or two. In that case, no harm is done.

Sometimes, though, a high-risk infection does not go away. When it lasts for many years, it can slowly change the cells it infects.

Over time, these changes can go from normal, to precancer, to cancer. This process is slow. For the cervix, it can take many years from infection to cancer. That slow pace is one reason screening works so well.

Long-lasting high-risk infection, not the average infection, is what raises cancer risk.

Long-lasting high-risk HPV infection can cause cancer in the places where the virus infects cells.

HPV can cause six types of cancer:

• Cervical cancer
• Anal cancer
• Oropharyngeal (throat) cancer
• Penile cancer
• Vaginal cancer
• Vulvar cancer

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV. HPV also causes most anal cancers and many of the other cancers on this list.

HPV spreads easily through intimate skin-to-skin contact. This includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

Because it is spread by skin contact, HPV can pass between partners even without other symptoms. Condoms lower the chance of spreading HPV, but they do not fully prevent it, since they do not cover all skin.

HPV is so common that most people who are sexually active will get it at some point. This is not a sign of anything wrong; it simply reflects how common the virus is.

There are two main tools to prevent cancers caused by HPV.

1. The HPV vaccine. The vaccine protects against the HPV types that cause most HPV-related cancers and genital warts. It works best when given before any exposure to HPV, which is why it is recommended for children at age 11 or 12.

2. Cervical cancer screening. Screening tests, like the HPV test and Pap test, can find cell changes in the cervix early. Finding and treating these changes prevents most cervical cancers.

For the other HPV-related cancers, there are not yet routine screening tests for the general public. That makes vaccination especially important, and it is a reason to report any unusual or lasting symptoms to your healthcare team.

Together, vaccination and screening offer strong protection. Your healthcare team can help you decide what steps make sense for you and your family.

When people hear about HPV and cancer, they sometimes worry that any infection means cancer is coming. It does not. There is a long, slow process in between.

Cells can move through stages:

• Normal cells are healthy.
• Low-grade changes are mild and often go away on their own as the infection clears.
• Precancer describes more serious changes that may become cancer if not treated.
• Cancer develops only if precancer is left untreated over time.

Because this process is slow, there is often a wide window to catch and treat changes early. This is exactly what cervical cancer screening is designed to do.

Learning you have HPV can feel unsettling, but it helps to keep perspective.

A few reassuring points:

• HPV is extremely common. Having it does not mean anything is wrong with you.
• Most infections clear on their own.
• An HPV diagnosis is not a cancer diagnosis.
• Follow-up and, if needed, treatment of cell changes can prevent cancer.

If you have questions about your results or what to do next, your healthcare team can walk you through it. They can explain your specific situation and recommend the right follow-up for you.