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Anal Cancer Prevention

Most anal cancers stem from human papillomavirus infection, which means the key to anal cancer prevention may lie largely in HPV vaccination.

Preventing Anal Cancer

Anal cancer is relatively rare with fewer than 10,000 people being diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. annually. But incidents have been on the rise over the past few decades, likely due to the spread of human papillomavirus, or HPV. As such, researchers believe the key to anal cancer prevention may lie in HPV vaccination and other risk factor reduction.

Anal Cancer Risk Factors

The following anal cancer risk factors can affect your chances of developing a type of anal cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. This type of anal cancer is the most prevalent, accounting for upwards of 90% of anal cancers.

  • HPV infection. By far the strongest risk factor for anal cancer, about nine out of 10 anal cancers are HPV-positive. However, the vast majority of people with HPV will never develop anal cancer.
  • HIV infection. People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at increased risk for anal cancer. This is because their bodies are less likely to fight off HPV infection.
  • Sexual activity. Having multiple sex partners and receptive anal sex increase risk in both men and women.
  • Smoking. Tobacco smoke also weakens the body’s ability to protect itself against HPV.

Anal Cancer Prevention Guidelines

Most anal cancers can be avoided by adhering to the following anal cancer prevention guidelines from the American Cancer Society:

  • Get vaccinated against HPV. The vaccine is recommended for males and females ages 9 to 45. The vaccine does not treat existing HPV infection; it can only prevent one from occurring. That’s why it’s important to get children vaccinated prior to initiation of sexual activity.
  • Not smoking.
  • Managing HIV with strict medication adherence.
  • Using condoms with all sexual activity in individuals with multiple sexual partners.

Researching Anal Cancer Prevention

Winship is dedicated to curing cancer through its tireless research to improve the ways the world prevents, detects, diagnoses, treats and survives all types of cancer, including anal cancer. That’s why Winship is involved in research to better understand why anal cancer develops and to discover new ways to prevent it.