At a medical office, cryotherapy can be used to remove skin and genital warts.
Picture courtesy of Getty Images:
According to the Centers Warts surgery for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 40 of the more than 150 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect the anal or genital region (CDC).
According to the CDC, the majority of these infections produce no symptoms and resolve on their own without treatment.
But, if an infection continues, some kinds of HPV can cause genital warts, while others can cause cancers such as cervical cancer and oropharyngeal cancer (cancer on the back and sides of the throat, tonsils, and base of the tongue).
Different strains of HPV can cause common or severe infections:
At a medical office, cryotherapy can be used to remove skin and genital warts.
Picture courtesy of Getty Images:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 40 of the more than 150 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect the anal or genital region (CDC).
According to the CDC, the majority of these infections produce no symptoms and resolve on their own without treatment.
But, if an infection continues, some kinds of HPV can cause genital warts, while others can cause cancers such as cervical cancer and oropharyngeal cancer (cancer on the back and sides of the throat, tonsils, and base of the tongue).
Different forms of HPV can produce nongenital, or common, skin warts on various parts of the body.
HPV treatment is determined by the individual condition or symptoms produced by the virus. There is presently no medical therapy available to clear your body of HPV after it has been detected.
How Genital Warts Are Treated:
According to the CDC, genital warts, which are often caused by HPV types 6 and 11, can occur across the genital area, as well as inside the anus, vaginal, or urethral opening, and on the cervix.
External genital warts can be treated with both patient-applied and doctor-applied medications. You may use the following at home:
Imiquimod cream (Aldara), an immune booster that boosts the synthesis of interferons and other immune system components in order to lower viral load.
Podofilox solution or gel (Condylox), which inhibits cell proliferation and kills wart tissue
Sinecatechins (Veregen), a form of green-tea extract with antioxidant capabilities and immune-boosting qualities.
To treat genital warts, a doctor may use:
Cryotherapy, which involves freezing warts with liquid nitrogen or a probe.
Surgical removal methods include shaving excision, laser treatment, and electrosurgery.
Warts are chemically removed with trichloroacetic acid or dichloroacetic acid.
Internal genital warts may be treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, laser ablation, surgical removal, trichloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, or topical interferon.
Treatment for Precancerous Cervical Changes:
Certain HPV strains can trigger the formation of precancerous cells on the cervix’s surface, a condition known as cervical dysplasia, which can progress to cervical cancer.
According to the CDC, HPV causes around 9 out of 10 occurrences of cervical cancer. Each year, around 11,000 persons in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer caused by HPV, while over 200,000 are diagnosed with cervical dysplasia.
Regular Pap or HPV tests increase the chances of detecting cervical dysplasia or an HPV infection early, and eliminating precancerous growths can help prevent cervical cancer.
Severe cervical dysplasia is treated with one of several types of surgical procedures, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians:
Surgical excision using a scalpel or laser:
According to the American Cancer Society, if cervical dysplasia has advanced to cervical cancer, you may be advised to have a hysterectomy (uterine removal) or to receive radiation treatment, chemotherapy, or both.
Treating HPV-Related Cancers in Other Parts of the Body:
According to the CDC, HPV can cause a variety of cancers in addition to cervical cancer:
Anal cancer
Oropharyngeal carcinoma is a kind of throat cancer.
Cancer of the sperm
Cancer of the cervix
Cancer of the vulvar
Because there are no clear screening standards for HPV-related malignancies other than cervical cancer, these tumors are often discovered only when they produce symptoms. Therapy for these tumors is determined by the stage of the cancer at the time it is discovered.