Colorectal cancer in gay men

Men who have sex with men are at higher risk for anal and oral cancers. The most common types of cancer among men in the US are prostate, lung, colorectal, and skin cancers. Learn more about cancer, including its prevalence, different types, symptoms, and screening options.

While it affects individuals across all demographics, recent research has highlighted specific considerations regarding its prevalence and risk factors in gay men. 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. Hepatitis A is commonly passed through the stool to the mouth, and is another risk to the liver.

A positive HIV test result should alert a doctor to order other screening tests. 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.

What is clear, however, is that two types of cancer pose a much men 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. Some gay and bisexual men might have a higher risk of anal cancer.

And the verdict is still out on how effective HPV vaccines are in preventing oropharyngeal cancers. Because your primary care doctor might not automatically prescribe these tests, it may be up to you to ask for them. Gay and bi men are more likely than their straight counterparts to have all three risk factors, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Finding cancer when it's small and hasn't spread often makes it easier to treat. Read the latest about risk factors, the different stages of cancer, and the many ways it can be treated. For gay or bisexual men and other MSM, the two biggest cancer risks are anal cancer and oral cancer.

Signs of oropharyngeal cancer include a lump in the neck or a sore throat, which can occur with many other diseases. Studies estimate that gay and bi men and MSM are 20 times more likely than heterosexual men to develop anal cancer. The most common risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer include:.

A lack of routine health screenings and the unwillingness of some doctors to discuss sexuality can increase their patients' risk of cancer as well. Learn about screenings and ways to reduce these risks with HPV and hepatitis B vaccinations.

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. Screening can also find cancer early, when it's small and before it causes symptoms. Screenings are available for lung, prostate, and colon cancer. Some evidence suggests that men who have sex with men MSM have a slightly higher likelihood of being diagnosed with 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. Knowing about these cancers and what you can do to help lower your.

Cancer screening tests help find cell changes (precancers), before they become cancer. 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:.

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 colorectal. Colorectal Cancer in Gay Men Colorectal cancer, gay includes cancers of the colon and rectum, is one of the most common forms of cancer worldwide.

Younger men in particular are also at risk of testicular cancer. 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.

People chronically infected with hepatitis B have a greater cancer risk of liver cancer.