Anal Cancer

[frugal50]

an acquaintance of mine, her husband was diagnosed with anal cancer less than two months ago

he passed away recently

she is not aware of how it is contracted

anal cancer is passed on from receiving anal sex

apparently, she doesn't know her husband was gay

and may have gotten anal cancer through the "backdoor"

how can i bring it up to her attention

without sounding vile

[Shwa Girl]

Your coworker is grieving right now. Maybe later on, a few months/1 year, would be a better time to talk about it.

Let her bring up the topic first. When she does,
1)you can talk about Farah Fawcett. That is how she died. Then the topic is opened up.
2) You can direct your coworker to the pamphlet on the Canadian Cancer Society website.
http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-infor...iew/?region=bc

BTW, not all anal cancers are transmitted sexually.

[HorndoggJr.]

Here are causes.Experts are not sure what causes anal cancer. However, the following are considered as possible risk factors:

• HPV (human papilloma virus) - some types of HPV are closely linked to anal cancer. Approximately 80% of patients with anal cancer are infected in the anal area with a HPV.
  
• Sexual partner numbers - this is also linked to HPV. The more sexual partners somebody has (or has had) the higher are the chances of being infected with HPV, which is closely linked to anal cancer risk.
  
• Receptive anal intercourse - both men and women who receive anal intercourse have a higher risk of developing anal cancer. HIV-positive men who have sex with men are up to 90 times more likely than the general population to develop anal cancer, this study revealed.
  
• Other cancers - women who have had vaginal or cervical cancer, and men who have had penile cancer are at higher risk of developing anal cancer. This is also linked to HPV infection.
  
• Age - the older somebody is the higher is his/her risk of developing anal cancer. In fact, this is the case with most cancers.
  
• A weak immune system - people with a weakened immune system have a higher risk of developing anal cancer. This may include people with HIV/AIDS, patients who have had transplants and are taking immunosuppressant medications.
  
• Smoking - smokers are significantly more likely to develop anal cancer compared to non-smokers. In fact, smoking raises the risk of developing several cancers.
  
• Benign anal lesions - IBD (irritable bowel disease), hemorrhoids, fistulae or cicatrices. Inflammation resulting from benign anal lesions may increase a person's risk of developing anal cancer.

[Springbreeze]

I wouldn't tell her that. She is grieving right now and I don't think she needs to hear it. Whether he was gay or not ( I am sure anal sex is not the only thing that can cause anal cancer) that can wait until later.

[vesper]

I don't think you should ever tell her. If she never suspected or knew herself, assuming he was gay, then there is no reason to ruin her memory of the man.

[lecale]

.

[thriftygranny]

I really don't understand while you feel it is your place to say anything.If there were any issues with her contracting anything I sure their physician would have voiced his concerns, I am sure she is an intelligent person that is dealing with this gut wrenching experience the best she can and is just trying to hold it together. If I was in her place and you shared your opinion to me at a time like this I would drop you like a bad habit.

[frugal50]

if i was her, i would get tested for HIV

who knows, what or if he infected her with anything

as anal cancer is closely related to HIV and HPV

a rare cancer, which mostly affects gay men

[Shwa Girl]

OP, like others have posted, if the doctor knows of a sexually transmitted disease, he/she is bound by their medical license to report to the appropriate authorities and all people who may be involved/infected, are contacted. This happens all the time.

Glad that you have decided to not discuss further with her.

[Darth Penguin]

Basically...it's none of your business...stop playing judge and jury in some-one else's marriage.

As Horndogg pointed out there are many ways of contracting anal cancer. very few of them are related to sex. Most of them are related to previous health issues which are likely to be genetic in origin.

http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/anus.html

Race/Ethnicity	Male	Female
All Races	1.5 per 100,000 men	1.9 per 100,000 women
White	1.5 per 100,000 men	2.1 per 100,000 women
Black	1.9 per 100,000 men	1.6 per 100,000 women
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.5 per 100,000 men	0.6 per 100,000 women
American Indian/Alaska Native a	^	1.4 per 100,000 women
Hispanic b	1.0 per 100,000 men	1.4 per 100,000 women

Anal cancer appears to be slightly more commen in Women..

[frugal50]

Who Gets Anal Cancer?

Most anal cancers (80%) are diagnosed in people who are over the age of 60. Prior to age 35,anal cancer is more common in men. However, after age 50, anal cancer is slightly more common in women.
The incidence rate of anal cancer is six times higher in single men as compared to married men.
Receptive anal intercourse is strongly related to the development of anal cancer.
Anal infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) resulting in genital warts is a major risk factor for the cancer.
Immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV disease, are prone to get anal cancer. In this subgroup, the prognosis is worse, than for non-immunocompromised patients.


http://www.webmd.com/cancer/what-is-anal-cancer

[Shwa Girl]

web md is an o.k. source for information.
Darth Penguin's information came from a government health website and is a more credible source. So Health Canada and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, trumps WebMD, IMHO.

[frugal50]

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anal-cancer/DS00852

mayo clinic is the most reliable and they say the same thing- medical professionals use and write on this site.

[walkonby]

[harbie]

I would NOT say anything. It's not your place to do so. Maybe she already knows or knew of what he may or may not have done and she's dealing or dealt with it. Maybe he told her and she knew during her marriage,etc... the only people to know what happens in a marriage are the 2 in it. JMO