Treatment of Cervical Cancer, Genital Warts, and
HPV
How are Cervical Cancer and Pre-Cancers Treated?
A woman found
to have abnormal results in the Pap test should always consult with
a doctor for proper management and treatment. A doctor depending
on the medical examination, laboratory results and consultation
with the patient's wishes, will manage the disease through:
• Active
monitoring through screening and use of confirmatory diagnostics
such as cytology and colsposcopy
•
Treatment with
o Cryotherapy
– freezing of the abnormal areas of the cervix
o LEEP (Loop Electosurgical Excision Procedure) – the removal
of abnormal areas from the cervix using a thin wire heated with
electricity
o Conization – surgical removal of a cone-shaped area of
the cervix
o Surgery
o Radiotherapy
• Other
modes of treatment as appropriate
How is HPV Treated?
• Surgery
(an operation to remove the cancer)
• Radiation Therapy (using high energy beams to destroy cancer
cells)
• Chemotherapy (using medications to disrupt the growth of
cancer cells)
Sometimes treatment
includes 2 or more of these methods.
How is HPV Treated?
Currently, there
is no proven treatment for HPV. For the majority of people who have
HPV, the body's defenses are enough to clear the virus.
It is possible to treat some of the possible consequences of HPV
infection including abnormal cervical cells, cervical cancer, and
genital warts.
How are Genital Warts Treated?
Genital warts
sometimes disappear on their own without treatment. However, there
is no way to tell if they will disappear or grow larger. Always
consult with a doctor if you suspect you have genital warts.
Your doctor may choose to apply a special cream or solution to the
warts.
Alternatively,
some genital warts can be removed by
• Freezing
• Burning
• Using a laser treatment
• Surgery
There is a chance
that genital warts can re-appear after treatment since the HPV that
caused them may still be present.
| Treatment
Options for External Genital Warts |
Treatment |
Mechanism
of Action |
Adverse
Effect & Incidence (%) |
Clearance
Rate (%) |
Recurrence
Rate (%) |
| Surgical
Excision |
Surgical
Excision |
Pain (100%),
bleeding (40%)
scarring (10%) |
35-70% |
20% |
| Cryotheraphy |
Chemical/Physical
Destruction |
Pain or
blisters at
application site (20%) |
60-90% |
20-40% |
Interferon- |
Chemical/Physical
Destruction |
Burning,
itching and irritation at injection site, headache, fever, chills
(6%) |
20-60% |
Insufficient
Data |
| Laser Treatment |
Chemical/Physical
Destruction |
Similar
to surgical excision |
25-50% |
5-50% |
| Imiquimod |
Topical
Drug-Patient Applied |
Erythema
(70%), irritation, ulceration and pain(<10%) |
30-50% |
15% |
| Podofilox |
Topical
Drug-Patient Applied |
Burning
at application site (75%), pain (50%), inflammation (70%) |
45-80% |
5-30% |
| Podophyllin
Resin |
Topical
Drug-Patient Applied |
Local irritation,
erythema, burning, soreness at application site (75%) |
30-80% |
20-65% |
| Trichloroacetic
acid |
Topical
Drug-Patient Applied |
Local pain
and irritation, no systemeic side effects |
50-80% |
35% |
| Adapted
from Kodner CM, Nasraty S. American Family Physician 2004; 70(12):23335-2342,
2345-2346. |
|
