According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 million people in the United States are currently infected with the sexually transmitted disease human papillomavirus (HPV). The immune system normally clears the HPV virus in 90 percent of infected individuals; however, certain strains of HPV can linger and cause genital warts, warts in the throat and cervical cancer. The treatment plan for genital HPV will depend on whether or not there are external genital warts or if the individual is infected with strains of the HPV virus that can lead to cervical cancer.
Pedophyllin Resin and Podofilox
While there is no cure for HPV infections, topical creams and solutions have proven effective in removing the lesions associated with external genital warts. According to Avert.org, a 0.5 percent solution or gel of podofilox is applied on the genital wart twice daily for three days, followed by four days without treatment. This treatment is administered for three to four weeks or until the lesions are gone.
A 10- to 15-percent solution of podophyllin resin is also an effective treatment option for inhibiting the growth of cells that result in lesions. Pedophyllin resin and podofilox combination therapy have proven effective in the removal of genital warts. This solution is applied at the doctor's office and is washed off four hours later.
Interferon Alpha-2b
Interferon alpha is an alternative option for individuals who do not respond to topical creams for the treatment of genital warts. Interferon alpha modulates and stimulates the body's immune response against viruses, cancer and other forms of foreign, pathogenic agents. Interferon alpha boost the body's immune response against the HPV virus as well as regulates the secretion of proteins involved in the growth of cancerous lesions.
According to Helixbiopharma.com, Interferon alpha-2b promotes the response of innate immunity cells such as cytotoxic T-cells and natural killer cells by acting on external cellular receptors. Within infected cells, Interferon alpha-2b stimulates the production of protein kinase R, an enzyme that degrades viral ribonucleic acid, or RNA, and inhibits the synthesis of viral proteins required for viral propagation. Furthermore, Interferon alpha-2b enhances the expression of human leukocytes antigens on the cellular surface so that innate immunity cells can easily recognize and kill the infected cells.
Conization of the Cervix
Each year, nearly half a million women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, with a quarter of a million dying. High-risk HPV strains including HPV 16 and HPV 18 together account for about 70 percent of cervical cancers. Women with moderate signs of precancerous changes in the cervix require surgery or destruction of the involved tissue to prevent the progression of those cells into cancerous cells.
Conization refers to a procedure using a knife, laser or electrocautery to remove the precancerous area of the cervix. Electrocautery refers to a process in which an electrical current is used to heat a needle, which in turn acts as a knife in the excision of precancerous, transformed cells.
