In general, HPV is thought to be responsible for more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, about 70% of vaginal and vulvar cancers, and 60% of penile cancers.

HPV infection causes about 5% of all cancers worldwide, with an estimated 625 600 women and 69 400 men getting an HPV-related cancer each year. Women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV.

In the United States, high-risk HPVs cause 3% of all cancers in women and 2% of all cancers in men. Each year, there are about 45,000 new cases of cancer in parts of the body where HPV is often found, and HPV is estimated to cause about 36,000 of these, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Other types of HPV are known as high-risk HPV. Your body's immune system can often get rid of this infection. But some people have a lasting infection. Over time, the infection can turn normal cells into precancerous lesions or cancer.

High-risk HPV strains include HPV 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancers. Other high-risk human papillomaviruses include 31, 33, 45, 52, 58, and a few others. Low-risk HPV strains, such as HPV 6 and 11, cause about 90% of genital warts, which rarely develop into cancer. These growths can look like bumps.

The Cure Rate Is Very High Most patients don't require surgery, notes Dr. Persky, but when they do, the preferred method is robotic surgery, which affords less invasive access to the deep structures of the head and neck.

Having HPV doesn't mean that someone will definitely get cancer. There are hundreds of different types of HPV. Some types affect the genitals, mouth and throat. Around 13 'high risk' types can cause cancer.

Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination. The choice of treatment depends on the size of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread and whether you would like to become pregnant someday. Vaccines can protect against several types of HPV, including some that can cause cancer.

It takes 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop in women with normal immune systems. It can take only 5 to 10 years in women with weakened immune systems, such as those with untreated HIV infection.

Does HPV cause health problems? In most cases (9 out of 10), HPV goes away on its own within two years without health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area.

There is no treatment for the virus itself. However, there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause: Genital warts can be treated by your healthcare provider or with prescription medication. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, stay the same, or grow in size or number.

High-risk HPV types include types 16, 18, 31, 33, 34, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, and 70. Included in the high-risk group are some HPV types that are less frequently found in cancers but are often found in squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) (Table ​