The role of viruses and sexual transmission in anal cancer.

Research has focused on the link between sexual activity, viral infection and cervical cancer. However, a parallel situation can be seen with anal cancer. Although less common than cervical cancer, anal cancer is a significant problem among certain groups. In the male homosexual population it occurs in 35 out of every 100,000 men, a figure comparable with the rate of cervical cancer in women before cervical screening programmes were instigated (Klenke and Palefsky, 2003). This article discusses the pathology, incidence and management of the disease and considers the role of viruses in its development, specifically human papilloma virus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).