The HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation

04/24/2026

Our next Patient Summit will be on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Comment below to be added to our mailing list.

04/23/2026

Understanding your diagnosis is one of the most powerful things you can do.

Dr. Rae Lynne from Scripps Health walks us through everything you need to know about a**l cancer, from how it's diagnosed and staged, to what treatment looks like and what to expect during recovery.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, supporting a loved one, or simply want to learn more, this video will help you.

Watch and help us break the stigma around a**l cancer.

04/22/2026

John is 59, a proud husband, dad and grandad from Yorkshire and he was diagnosed with a**l cancer on 21st December 2024, after more than a year of being told it was haemorrhoids.

His story covers everything: the delayed diagnosis, six weeks of chemo-radiotherapy, ringing the bell, a recurrence, and now facing an APR surgery with a permanent colostomy, all told with the kind of warmth, wit and honesty that only John could bring.

If you or someone you love has been affected by a**l cancer, his story is a powerful reminder that you are not alone.

Read John's full story here: https://www.a**lcancerfoundation.org/thriver-stories/john-r/

04/21/2026

A new study funded by the World Cancer Research Fund found that vegetarians had lower risks of five types of cancer compared with meat eaters, including pancreatic, breast, prostate and kidney cancer, and multiple myeloma.

Eating more whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables and limiting red and processed meat can all play a role in lowering overall cancer risk.

The American Institute for Cancer Research - AICR has written a blog breaking down what the research found and what it might mean for you.

World Cancer Research Fund found that vegetarians had lower risks of five types of cancer compared with meat eaters

04/20/2026

We wanted to share this episode from The Menopause and Cancer Podcast, released for A**l Cancer Awareness Day (21 March).

A**l cancer is caused by HPV, the same virus behind cervical cancer, yet it doesn't receive the same awareness, and it still carries a stigma that leaves too many people suffering in silence.

Ali joins the podcast to share her story openly and honestly: what diagnosis felt like, what treatment involved, and how it affected her body, her confidence and her experience of menopause.

On this episode of The Menopause and Cancer Podcast, we’re marking A**l Cancer Awareness Day (21 March) by shining a light on a cancer that is often misunder...

04/17/2026

When Kevin was diagnosed with a**l cancer, he showed up to every appointment with 12 pages of questions. He asked to hold a port before it was implanted. He requested time to adjust before treatment began. He advocated for himself at every single step.

And it made a difference.

At the A**l Cancer Foundation, we believe that a well-informed, respected patient is a better supported patient. That is why we create resources that give you the language, the questions and the confidence to take an active role in your own care.

You deserve to understand every part of your diagnosis, your treatment, and your recovery.

Access our free patient resources at https://www.a**lcancerfoundation.org/support/

04/16/2026

April is Stress Awareness Month. What helps you manage stress during your cancer journey?

04/15/2026

When Falline was diagnosed with a**l cancer, she didn't just want medical advice. She wanted to talk to someone who actually got it.

Now she volunteers as what she brilliantly calls a "butt buddy", a peer counsellor who walks alongside newly diagnosed patients and says: I've been where you are. You're going to be okay.

That's exactly what our free Peer-to-Peer Support Programme is built on. Real people. Real conversations. No judgement.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, mid-treatment or finding your feet on the other side, there is someone ready to walk this road with you.

Comment PEER below and we'll send you the link to get connected.

04/14/2026

A**l cancer shares symptoms with far more common conditions, which is exactly why it so often gets missed. Knowing what to look for could make all the difference. 💜

Talk to your doctor if you notice any of these:

- Re**al bleeding: blood when you go to the toilet or on the paper

- Itching or unusual discharge: persistent irritation that won't go away

- A lump or growth near the a**s

- Pain, pressure or a feeling of fullness in the a**l area

- Changes in your bowel habits: including consistency or control

These symptoms are more likely to be something else entirely but the only way to know for sure is to get checked. Please don't let embarrassment stand between you and answers.

Early diagnosis saves lives. You deserve to be taken seriously.

👉 Learn more about a**l cancer symptoms: https://www.a**lcancerfoundation.org/what-is-a**l-cancer/

04/13/2026

Six doctors. Eighteen months. Each time, dismissed as hemorrhoids. It took one doctor who listened, really listened, to change everything.

BeaJay was diagnosed with HPV 16 and a**l cancer after a year and a half of being turned away. What followed was one of the hardest journeys imaginable: a rare genetic condition, reduced-dose chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation, a hospital admission just three days after finishing treatment, and 38 rounds of antibiotics.

On February 7th, 2026, she got the news she'd fought so hard for. She NED.

Now she's channelling everything she went through into supporting others as a peer mentor, because she knows first-hand how isolating this diagnosis can feel.

"Keep smiling, stay strong, you are stronger than you think."

Read her full story here: https://www.a**lcancerfoundation.org/thriver-stories/beajay-m/

04/10/2026

Did you know HPV causes over 90% of a**l cancers and there's a vaccine that could prevent it?

A**l cancer is rare, but it's rising. In the US alone, around 11,270 new cases are expected in 2026. And yet vaccination rates still fall well short of where they need to be.

Eileen McGill Fox knows this reality better than most. After discovering her husband's infidelities, she tested positive for HPV and went on to be diagnosed with three separate HPV-related cancers. Her story is a reminder that this virus does not discriminate.

The HPV vaccine protects against 6 HPV-related cancers. It's recommended for everyone aged 9–26, and up to 45 after speaking with your doctor. It could have changed everything for Eileen. It can still change everything for someone you love.

Read her full story here:

She was married for nearly 30 years when she learned about her husband’s infidelities and went to the local health clinic to get tested for sexually transmitted infections. Up to that point in 2017, Eileen McGill Fox had viewed her life as relatively normal.

04/09/2026

Martijn Hermse was fit, healthy and diligent about his medical check-ups. He had colonoscopies. He had re**al exams. None of them caught his a**l cancer, not until it was already Stage Four.

His wife Susan writes about his diagnosis, his extraordinary courage through radical surgery, and the nine more months they were given together before he died in 2008, aged 56.

She shares his story for one reason: because a**l cancer is largely preventable.

✅ Over 93% of a**l cancers are caused by HPV
✅ The HPV vaccine has been available since 2006
✅ Early detection saves lives, know the symptoms

Read his full story here:

Awareness saves lives