HPV-Associated Anal Cancer

It is estimated that about 1,600 new cases of HPV-associated anal cancers are diagnosed in women and about 900 are diagnosed in men each year in the United States. More white women get anal cancer than women of other races. More black men get anal cancer than men of other races.

HPV-associated anal cancer rates by race and ethnicity, United States, 1998–2003

The graph above shows the age-adjusted incidence rates for anal cancer in the United States during 1998–2003. The rates shown are the number of men or women who were diagnosed with anal cancer for every 100,000 men or women.

• Among whites, about 1.6 women and 1.0 men per 100,000 were diagnosed with anal cancer.
• Among blacks, about 1.3 women and 1.2 men per 100,000 were diagnosed with anal cancer.
• Among Asian/Pacific Islanders, about 0.4 women and 0.2 men per 100,000 were diagnosed with anal cancer.
• Among Hispanics, about 1.5 women and 0.8 men per 100,000 were diagnosed with anal cancer.
• Among non-Hispanics, about 1.5 women and 1.0 men per 100,000 were diagnosed with anal cancer.

This graph was adapted from Joseph DA, Miller JW, Wu X, Chen VW, Morris CR, Goodman MT, Villalon-Gomez JM, Williams M, Cress RD. Understanding the burden of human papillomavirus-associated anal cancers in the US. Cancer 2008;113(S10):2892–2900.

These numbers are based on a large study that covered 83% of the U.S. population during 1998–2003, and may under-represent the actual number of cancers diagnosed during this time period. Also, this study used cancer registry data to estimate the amount of potentially HPV-associated cancer in the United States by examining cancer in parts of the body and cancer cell types that are more likely to be caused by HPV. Cancer registries do not collect data on the presence or absence of HPV in cancer tissue at the time of diagnosis. In general, HPV is thought to be responsible for about 90% of anal cancers.