Genital warts are small, flesh-colored bumps that are greyish white or pinkish white. They usually appear as thin, flexible, solid bumps on the skin that look like small pieces of cauliflower. However, some warts are quite small and flat and may not be easily noticed. Globally, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women.
Fortunately, it's much less common in the United States because women get the recommended routine Pap smears, the test designed to detect cervical cancer, sometimes even before the abnormal cells turn into cancer. Cervical cancer starts in cells on the surface of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus. There are two types of cells on the surface of the cervix, squamous and columnar. Most cervical cancers come from these squamous cells. Cancer usually starts very slowly as a condition called dysplasia.
This precancerous condition can be detected by a Pap smear and is 100% treatable. Undetected precancerous changes can develop into cervical cancer and spread to the bladder, intestines, lungs, and liver. These precancerous changes can take years to develop into cervical cancer. However, patients with cervical cancer don't usually have problems until the cancer is advanced and has spread. Most of the time, early-stage cervical cancer has no symptoms.
Symptoms of advanced cancer may include back pain, bone fractures, fatigue, heavy vaginal bleeding, urine leakage, leg pain, loss of appetite, and pelvic pain. If after a Pap smear, the doctor finds abnormal changes in the cervix, a colposcopy may be ordered. Using a low-powered light and microscope, the doctor will look at the cervix with a magnifying glass. The doctor can remove pieces of tissue, called a biopsy, and send the sample to a laboratory for testing. If a woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer, the doctor will order more tests to determine how far the cancer has spread. Treatment will depend on the stage of the cancer, the size and shape of the tumor, the woman's age and general health, and her desire to have children in the future.
Early-stage cervical cancer can be treated with surgery only to remove abnormal tissue, freeze abnormal cells, or burn abnormal tissue. Treatment for more advanced cervical cancer may include radical hysterectomy, removal of the uterus and much of the surrounding tissue, including the lymph nodes and the upper part of the vagina. Radiation may be used to treat cancer that has spread beyond the pelvis or if the cancer comes back. Women can also receive chemotherapy to kill cancer cells. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that is spread through sexual intercourse. HPV vaccines can prevent infection against two types of HPV that are responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases.
Practicing safe sex also reduces the risk of contracting HPV. However, keep in mind that most women diagnosed with cervical cancer haven't had regular Pap tests because Pap tests can detect precancerous tumors that are 100% treatable. It's very important for women to have a Pap smear at regular intervals. Even when there are no genital warts present on your skin or your partner's skin, HPV can still be present and spread during sexual contact. If you have genital warts or red bumps on or around your genitals or your partner has HPV or another STD or genital warts, see your doctor or nurse or contact your local Planned Parenthood health center. Genital warts may also be known by other names such as genitoanal warts, anogenital warts or condyloma acuminata. Symptoms of genital warts caused by HPV in men include small bumps or groups of bumps on the tip or shaft of penis, scrotum or anus.
Genital warts look like whitish or skin-colored bumps that appear on vulva, vagina, cervix penis scrotum or anus. A vaccine is available to prevent types of HPV infections that pose a high risk of genital warts and cervical cancer. Genital warts are highly contagious so even without penetrative sex HPV can be transmitted from person to person. Two strains of HPV in particular HPV 6 and HPV 11 are responsible for approximately 9 out 10 cases of genital warts (8). About one-third of HPV strains found in genital wart biopsies can also contain high-risk cancer-causing strains of HPV (1). Having genital warts can cause feelings of anxiety depression and a sense of diminished quality of life especially at time of first diagnosis (1).Other times genital warts can also occur inside body such as in vagina cervix inner part labia inside anal canal (7 8 18).
Sometimes genital warts go away on their own when not treated while other times they stay same or even increase in number size. If you have warts or red bumps on or around your genitals if your partner has HPV or another STD or your partner has genital warts see your doctor or nurse or contact your local Planned Parenthood health center. Be sure to get screened for cancer cervix, vagina vulva anus if you have been diagnosed with genital warts.
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