Hello,
I Was diagnosed with anal cancer last year at age 40 and finished treatment in October 2025. HPV-16 was detected. I have also many years ago had precancerous cells on a smear which were excised. Since then my smears have been clear.
I was too old to have the hpv vaccine when it first came out and I am aware that having the vaccine now would not treat any persistent hpv in my system, however I have read that there is evidence to suggest it can prevent cancer recurrence as well as protect against new strains. I asked my cancer nurse about this who consulted my oncologist but the response was very unclear. She said there is some evidence for it preventing future precancerous changes but are not advising people to have it after treatment for anal cancer. This has left me really confused. I am aware up to age 45 I can pay for this privately so this is an option but don’t want to do it if it may have a detrimental effect?. Has anyone else had the vaccine following treatment or know if it is a good idea or not?
