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Human PapillomaVirus? Cancerous? AHCC?

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“Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes most papillomas…For papillomas of the skin, where HPV is known to be the cause, skin damage can promote the development of a papilloma.”

Hi David- I recently discovered a small growth on my left tonsil, which has been diagnosed as a papilloma. I do not know if it is HPV for sure or the type, but I am obviously concerned about the future of this, especially as it has grown a little in the last 6 months. Do you have any experience of AHCC clearing such papillomas?
Regards,  Ramona


Hi Ramona,

If I understand your questions, you are concerned about the following issues-

  • was my papilloma caused by the Human PapillomaVirus (HPV) virus,
  • is my papilloma cancerous and
  • will AHCC supplementation clear my papilloma?

I will link and excerpt an article about papilloma below in an effort to address your questions/concerns.

While the article linked below explains that “most papilloma are caused by HPV,” it does not address the issue of possible therapies other than “treating” the growth. As you read from the post you came in on, I have supplemented with AHCC and I believe I have cleared the virus. While there are topical papilloma therapies, I found AHCC to be systemic and effective.

Please read the excerpts below and let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

David Emerson

  • Cancer Survivor
  • Cancer Coach
  • Director PeopleBeatingCancer

Recommended Reading:


Should I worry about a papilloma?

“Papillomas are noncancerous, outward-growing lumps that might cause problems in some locations. They do not spread and are not aggressive. However, be sure to receive a clinical opinion on any lump or skin lesion. If a lump turns out to be a more severe type of lump, it is important to intervene early.

Another reason for getting medical attention is that papillomas can cause complications or discomfort, and sometimes require additional treatment even though these problems are likely to be neither cancerous nor life-threatening.

“While papillomas are not, by themselves, cancerous, they are linked with a higher risk of cancer. Women who have received treatment for multiple breast papilloma, for example, might be monitored just in case cancer also occurs…

Papillomas are benign growths. This means that they do not grow aggressively and they do not spread around the body.

The growths only form in certain types of tissue, although these tissues occur all over the body. Papillomas are often known as warts and verrucae when they reach the skin. They can also form in the surface of the moist tissues lining the insides of the body, such as in the gut or airway

A diagnosis of benign papilloma means that the lump presents no cause for concern.

However, a person might still want to address or treat a papilloma, as they can cause pain, irritation, and concerns about appearance…

Causes-

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes most papillomas.

For some papillomas though, HPV is not the main cause. One example is an inverted papilloma of the urinary tract, which research has linked to smoking and other potential causes.

For papillomas of the skin, where HPV is known to be the cause, skin damage can promote the development of a papilloma. Scratching at or picking a wart can also lead to further infection. However, the growth itself cannot spread to another location.

While there are links between HPV and cancer, especially cervical cancer, researchers believe that it takes between 10 and 30 years for HPV to develop into a malignant condition. Less than 50 percent of precancerous cervical lesions from HPV make the transition…

When a papilloma or group of papillomas grow in the larynx, it can obstruct the process of breathing. This causes a rare condition known as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, which occurs mostly in children.

Symptoms include hoarseness, a quiet or weak cry, and airway obstruction, in severe instances.

This can also return after treatment or transform into a malignant tumor. Because of this, it might become necessary to treat recurrent respiratory papillomatosis multiple times…

Doctors can treat warts on the skin using the following methods:

  • cautery, which involves burning off the tissue and then scraping it away using curettage
  • excision, in which a doctor surgically removes the papilloma
  • laser surgery, a procedure that destroys the wart using high-energy light from a laser
  • cryotherapy, or freezing off the tissue
  • applying liquid nitrogen onto warts or injecting them into the papilloma

Drugs applied to papilloma tissue on the skin are also used to destroy warts. Examples include:

  • 5-fluorouracil
  • cantharidin
  • imiquimod

Doctors might prescribe others, depending on the type of wart.

AHCC® Supplementation to Support Immune Function to Clear Persistent Human Papillomavirus Infections

Objective: To determine the efficacy, safety, and durability of the use of AHCC supplementation for 6 months to support the host immune system to clear high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The AHCC supplement is a proprietary, standardized extract of cultured lentinula edodes mycelia (AHCC®, Amino Up, Ltd., Sapporo, Japan) that has been shown to have unique immune modulatory benefits…

Results: Fifty women with high-risk HPV were enrolled, and 41 completed the study. Fourteen (63.6%) of the 22 patients in the AHCC supplementation arm were HPV RNA/HPV DNA negative after 6 months, with 64.3% (9/14) achieving a durable response defined as being HPV RNA/HPV DNA negative 6 months off supplementation. On the placebo arm, two (10.5%) of 19 patients were HPV negative at 12 months. In the twelve placebo arm patients who elected to continue on the unblinded study, 50% (n = 6) were HPV RNA/HPV DNA negative after 6 months of AHCC supplementation. At the time of completion of the study, there were a total of 34 patients (22 blinded and 12 unblinded) who had received AHCC supplementation with an overall response rate of 58.8% that cleared HPV persistent infections. At the time of enrollment, the mean IFN-β level was 60.5 ± 37.6 pg/ml in women with confirmed persistent HPV infections. Suppression of IFN-β to less than 20 pg/ml correlated with an increase in T lymphocytes and IFN-γ and durable clearance of HPV infections in women who received AHCC supplementation.

Conclusion: Results from this phase II study demonstrated that AHCC 3 g once daily was effective to support the host immune system to eliminate persistent HPV infections and was well tolerated with no significant adverse side effects reported. The duration of AHCC supplementation required beyond the first negative result needs more evaluation to optimize success for durable outcomes. The suppression of the IFN-β level to less than 20 pg/ml correlated with clearance of HPV infections and merits further evaluation as a clinical tool for monitoring patients with HPV infections…”

 

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