Gynecologic Oncology

Q & A with Dr. Rani Bhat How effective is HPV vaccination in preventing cancer? The human papillomavirus or HPV is the name given to a group of related viruses. There are more than a hundred types of HPVs and about forty of them are transmitted sexually. These viruses are generally divided into two groups known as low and high-risk types. The low-risk virus can cause genital warts and high-risk type causes various cancers of the reproductive organs, like cervical, vaginal, penile, vulvar, and anal and oropharyngeal cancers. Of the high-risk HPV, types 16 and 18 are responsible for about 70% cases of cervical cancers globally. What is HPV vaccination? Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that causes anogenital and oropharyngeal cancer in males and females. Vaccines have been developed to protect against acquiring HPV infection. There are three types of vaccination, which vary in the number of HPV types they contain and not all are avai...

Q & A with Dr. Rani Bhat Is HPV vaccination recommended for me? What is HPV? Full form of HPV is human papillomavirus . HPV is a viral infection and is generally transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. You can contract HPV during your first sexual encounter or your 20th, and you can get it even if you have been monogamous and have been having sex with only one person. HPV will not cause any symptoms and they generally go away on their own. But some types of HPV can cause cervical cancer in women and can also cause cancers such as cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, and vulva and oropharynx. Why is HPV vaccine important? Generally, most HPV infections will clear up on their own within two years, with no long-term consequences. But sometimes, the infection does not clear up and since there is no treatment nor cure for HPV, the virus can put people at risk for potentially serious problems such as cancer and genital warts....