Can Warts Cause Cancer?

There are several different types of warts that humans can get, namely the common wart, flat warts, plantar warts that are on the bottom of the feet, palmer warts that are located on the palm of the hands, and genital warts. Warts are caused by a virus. The virus is the human papillomavirus or HPV. Many people have heard about this virus due to a relatively new vaccine for young women to protect against some forms of genital warts. Warts are formed when the virus causes skin cells to multiply rapidly, forming a small raised bump, or in the case of flat warts, a flattened area of skin cells. The wart does not go deeply into the skin and stays near the surface, which is why they can be easily removed.

All warts are very contagious and people can become infected with HPV when they touch a wart and the virus spreads through a small cut or sore. Even a thin paper cut on the hand or fingers can be enough to receive HPV from an infected person. And as if that's not bad enough, HPV can even be transmitted through an infected person using a towel and then someone else using the same towel. Genital warts are spread through sexual contact with an infected person. Although genital warts are even more easily transmitted, they can't be transmitted by hand, nor can the other types of warts be spread to the genitals. Each wart type is caused by a different strain of HPV.

Because of the ease of spreading warts, anyone with a wart should seek treatment through a doctor who can get rid of the warts by freezing, topical medication or in the case of internal genital warts, by surgically removing them. There are over the counter (OTC) medications available containing salicylic acid that work very effectively, although it may take several months for the wart to vanish completely.

Even after a wart is gone, either through a topical medication, freezing or surgery, the HPV will always remain. Since HPV is a virus, antibiotics do not work. While prevention is difficult, if a person's immune system is good and strong, they might stand a better chance of fighting off the virus, just as a healthy person can fight off the common cold better than a person with a weakened or depleted immune system.

The only wart that is potentially dangerous and can cause cancer is the genital wart. There are different strains of genital warts, but a few are capable of causing cervical cancer in women. All of the other warts are relatively harmless and will usually vanish on their own, sometimes in six months or so. But to be sure you actually have a wart and not some other ailment, a visit to the doctor should be done as soon as possible.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/medical/types-of-warts.htm
www.dermatology.about.com/cs/warts/a/warts.htm