Safe sex after anal cancer treatment

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Have any of you been given advice on the recurrence of the hpv virus after the cancer is in remission ? 
many thanks 

Chrissie xx

  • Hello Chrissie

    The HPV virus has never once been mentioned to me in almost four years since diagnosis.  I can honestly say I never think about it.  And because it wasn't a factor in my diagnosis and treatment, it isn't something that I have thought to discuss with my husband.

    I only know from research since that most of the sexually active population carry the virus, and who knows, I could have caught it from my husband, but I was the one to develop anal cancer.  If your partner is concerned I would show him the statistics, the hard facts, I am sure he would find it enlightening, he may be as unknowing as I was four years ago!

    Irene xx

  • Thanks for your reply and sharing .. it is a subject I feel needs more research ..

    we go through the diagnosis , the treatment , the after effects but nobody enlightening us on the culprit !!! 
    I was told it was the hpv virus , no test was done and my smears all fine … Then in research , it says probably HPV ? …. more research , if you have HIV or a smoker you could be infected .. I don’t fall into that category, so the experts are saying HPV without a test , without any knowledge of reinfection … deffo a good topic for debate , research and finding a test !!!

    take care 

    Chrissie xx

  • Thanks Irene, 

    it’s a very emotive topic at the moment !!! Can’t find much about HPV causing the anal cancer , how to go on from the treatment stage and how to stop this happening again !!! ? 
    if they didn’t test me for the virus , as there isn’t one , how can the experts assume ? 
    take care 

    Chrissie xx

  • Hi  

    This information is from the NHS site, where it explains that the main cause of anal cancer is the hpv virus.

    Anal cancer

    Sarah xx


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  • Yes it is a bit of a minefield. My understanding is that my HPV anal cancer was diagnosed by tissue biopsy taken during colonoscopy.

    I'm not sure how much will be invested in future research as they now have vaccine against HPV, so eventually nobody will have it.

    Just a shame it was too late for us.

  • Hi Mrs Vanilla 

    Hopefully they will invest in hpv although I'm not gonna hold my breath. I think they need to find a test which people could have like a screening to see if its active anywhere in your body and then you could at least be kept an eye on.The vaccine at present doesn't protect against all strains and even the ones it does, it doesn't protect 100%. One of my radiotherapists was telling me about a friend of hers who was vaccinated and she is currently undergoing treatment for cervical cancer Cry. Xx

  • Hi  

    There has been a huge reduction in the number of cases of cervical cancer due to uptake of the hpv vaccine. However, as you have mentioned, it’s possible to be vaccinated and still get cervical cancer for a couple of reasons-the first is that not all vaccines are 100% effective, and the second is that not all cervical cancers are caused by hpv.

    Not every eligible person will get vaccinated, so there will never be a time when cervical cancer, for example, will never again occur. and as you rightly say, the vaccine doesn’t cover against the 200 plus strains of hpv. So unfortunately it will never be the case that eventually no-one will ever have hpv. As we only have cervical screening at the moment to pick up the virus, we also have many of us who carry hpv and will never receive the vaccination now. 

    Someone once described the virus to me as being like a light switch going on and off between active and dormant, and currently cervical screening will only give a positive test if the virus is active. If it is dormant, the test will be negative, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have it-just that it wasn’t active at the time of the test. 

    Sarah xx


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  • Hi Mrs Vanilla , hope you well ? 
    that’s interesting , I wonder if my hpv diagnosis was from the bioposy ? I will find out at my next consultation .. I assumed everyone with AC was hpv ..Chrissie xx

  • Thanks Chrissie, I am great - hope things are going ok for you too.

    Apart from the delightful digital examination (and the colorectal surgeon knew I had a tumour just from that) the biopsy is the only thing I had as far as diagnostics went. Although the various scans did show there was a tumour there, I don't think there's any way they could identify it as HPV from them.


    I think 90% or so of AC cases are from HPV. It would be interesting to know whether the HPV is destroyed by radiotherapy, or if it just zaps the actual tumour.

  • Hi Everyone! 
    just a general question. I’m almost 4 weeks post treatment and feeling fine except for vaginal irritation. Feels a bit like thrush but I don’t think it is. Has anyone else experienced this post treatment?

    Happyflower xx