News

First HIV, then cancer.

Mary Engel, Fred Hutch News Service.
October 5, 2015
As people with HIV live longer, they are developing cancers at higher rates than the general population. Read Article

Prevalence of anal human papillomavirus infection and anal HPV-related disorders in women: a systematic review

Elizabeth A. Stier, MD; Meagan C. Sebring, BBA, BA; Audrey E. Mendez, PhD, MS; Fatimata S. Ba, MPH; Debra D. Trimble, PhD, RN; Elizabeth Y. Chiao, MD, MPH
September 29, 2015
AJOG Sept. 2015 Abstract: The aim of this study was to systematically review the findings of publications addressing the epidemiology of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, anal intraepithelial neoplasia, and anal cancer in women. We conducted a systematic review among publications published from Jan. 1, 1997, to Sept. 30, 2013, to limit to publications from the combined antiretroviral therapy era. Three searches were performed of the National Library of Medicine PubMed database using the following search terms: women and anal HPV, women anal intraepithelial neoplasia, and women and

'Putting Your Bottom at the Top of Your List' -- The Pap Smear That's Not Just for Women

Erin N. Marcus, MD, HuffPost
April 27, 2015
About 17 years ago, Jeff Taylor, an AIDS advocate, became worried he might have anal cancer. Through his work, Taylor knew that anal cancer rates had risen steeply among people with HIV. He was having discomfort, and he knew that there was a simple screening test: a swab that is processed just like a routine pap smear. His doctor knew about the test, but at that time there was little agreement on how to diagnose and treat anal cancer, which is rare in the general population. "He said, 'even if I sent it in, the lab wouldn't process it,'" because the pap smear specimen wasn't from a female

Anchor's Away!

Gary Bucher, M.D., FAACP
April 1, 2015
The Anal Cancer/HSIL Outcomes Research Study IT’S INDISPUTABLE THAT HAVING A CELEBRITY SPOKESPERSON benefits any cause. Scott Hamilton defeated testicular cancer, Kathy Bates overcame ovarian cancer and is now fighting breast cancer, and two of the original Charlie’s Angels, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, are breast cancer survivors. But it was the third angel, Farrah Fawcett, who didn’t survive her cancer, dying at the age of 62 in 2009 of anal cancer. Fawcett became the one who took this particular cancer from being “unmentionable” to finally grabbing the attention of the public. Now, it

Risk of anal cancer looms for those with HIV

Tim Nelson, Advocate Health Care eNews
March 24, 2015
Bob says the first indication something was wrong was the blood he found when he used the restroom more than four years ago. “I thought about going to the doctor, but bleeding stopped,” he says. But then, a year later, it began again. This time, it didn’t go away. “It got worse. It was constant. There was blood on my sheets, on my clothes,” Bob says. “I went to the doctor, had a colonoscopy. It turns out there was a cancerous growth in biopsy. It was anal cancer.” Read On

Anchor study seeks answers to link between HIV, HPV

Lauren E. Childers, Windy City Times
March 18, 2015
The Anchor Study's main goal is to determine if these screenings decrease the incidence of anal cancer. "In the Midwest, we're trying to get the word out because a lot of people aren't screening for this because patients don't want to get a rectal exam and doctors really don't want to do the rectal exam either," Bucher said. "But that's how you will find things." Read On

Screening May Miss Pre-cancerous Anal Lesions in Women with HIV

Theo Smart, AIDS Map
March 12, 2015
In an analysis that adjusted first for age and then for multiple other factors, Fanny Ita-Nagy from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the only risk factor that was significantly associated with high-grade anal dysplasia was being either a current or former smoker (adjusted odds ratio 1.93, or nearly double the risk). Read a summary . See the video of the CROI presentation .

Treating High-grade Lesions to Prevent Anal Cancer in HIV-infected People

National Cancer Institute
March 11, 2015
Why This Trial Is Important This study, called the ANCHOR (Anal Cancer/HSIL Outcomes Research) trial, will investigate whether screening and prevention methods similar to those used to prevent cervical cancer can help prevent anal cancer in HIV-infected men and women. Although anal cancer is rare, people with HIV are much more likely to develop it than people in the general population. Women with HIV are 24 times more likely to develop anal cancer than women who are HIV negative. The risk of anal cancer is 32 times higher for HIV-infected men than that of men in the general population

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