Rectal cancer gay men
People chronically infected with hepatitis B have a greater lifetime risk of liver cancer.
Men who have sex with men are at higher risk for anal and oral cancers. A lack of routine health screenings and the unwillingness of some doctors to discuss sexuality can increase their patients' risk of cancer as well. Unlike for HPV infection in the anus, no test has been approved by the U.
For the vast majority of people, HPV goes away by itself within two years, and a very small number of people will progress to an HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer. For gay or bisexual men and other MSM, the two biggest cancer risks are anal cancer and oral cancer.
Because gay and bisexual men are also at higher risk for hepatitis B, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDCthey may also have greater odds of developing liver cancer, which is driven by hepatitis B infection.
Hepatitis A is commonly passed through the stool to the mouth, and is another risk to the liver. Learn more about cancer, including its prevalence, different types, symptoms, and screening options. Younger men in particular are also at risk of testicular cancer.
Gay and bi men are more likely than their straight counterparts to have all three risk factors, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The most common types of cancer among men in the US are prostate, lung, colorectal, and skin cancers.
What is clear, however, is that two types of cancer pose a much higher risk for gay and bisexual men, and the reasons largely have to do with types of sexual activity. But doctors are not likely to automatically screen for anal cancer, or even give colorectal exams to detect prostate cancer, according to Alan Nyitray, PhDan associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
However, gay and bisexual people with a penis may be more likely to have certain risk factors that increase their chances of developing colorectal cancer, such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
Cancer Risks for Gay : While it affects individuals across all demographics, recent research has highlighted specific considerations regarding its prevalence and risk factors in gay men
Some gay and bisexual men might have a higher risk of anal cancer. A positive HIV test result should alert a doctor to order other screening tests. Studies estimate that gay and bi men and MSM are 20 times more likely than heterosexual men to develop anal cancer.
Signs of oropharyngeal cancer include a lump in the neck or a sore throat, which can occur with many other diseases. There is no national consensus on the need for anal cancer screening, but that may change if and when the U.
Preventive Services Task Force issues a recommendation, which Nyitray believes will happen. And the verdict is still out on how effective HPV vaccines are in preventing oropharyngeal cancers. Kenneth Mayer, MD, the medical research director and cochair of the Fenway Institute in Boston, suggests four actions that reduce the risk of cancer for gay and bisexual men:.
Read the latest about risk factors, the different stages of cancer, and the many ways it can be treated.
Gay Men and Cancer : A professor at UF’s department of health services research, management and policy discusses his findings that age-specific anal precancer management can potentially lead to an 80 percent decrease in lifetime risk of anal cancer mortality among gay and bisexual men
HPV vaccines have been used for over 15 years and are now approved for boys and men between ages 9 and The thinking behind the age cutoff is that by midlife, most men have had the bulk of their sexual partners and therefore have already been exposed to many strains of HPV.
But Mayer says there is still value in getting vaccinated later in life. According to the CDC, gay and bi men and MSM have a greater risk of hepatitis B, which spreads through semen and blood during sexual activity. Some evidence suggests that men who have sex with men MSM have a slightly higher likelihood of being diagnosed with cancer.
The most common risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer include:. Learn about screenings and ways to reduce these risks with HPV and hepatitis B vaccinations. Oropharyngeal cancer which includes the back of the mouth and throat is the eighth most common cancer among all men in the United States, according to Cancer.
Knowing about these cancers and what you can do to help lower your.