Content
Hard cancer is a small lesion that can appear in the genital or anal region that is indicative that infection by the bacteria Treponema pallidum, which is the microorganism responsible for syphilis.
The appearance of hard cancer corresponds to the first stage of the disease, which is called primary syphilis, and often goes unnoticed, because it does not cause pain or discomfort and is often located in the anus or vagina, being unable to be visualized.
Hard cancer is a very infectious lesion, as it has a large amount of bacteria in place and, therefore, unprotected sexual intercourse favors the transmission of this bacterium. Therefore, it is important that it is identified and treated, as this way it is possible to prevent transmission to another person and the proliferation of bacteria and spreading through the body, giving rise to the most serious forms of the disease.
Main symptoms
Hard cancer usually appears about 10 to 20 days after contact with the bacteria, which occurs through anal, oral or intercourse without condom. Thus, hard cancer can appear in the mouth, anus, penis or vagina according to the form in which it was infected and can be identified through the following characteristics:
- Small pink core that can develop into ulcer;
- Raised and hardened edges;
- Lighter center of the lesion;
- It may be covered by transparent discharge;
- The lump does not hurt, itch or cause discomfort.
In men, hard cancer can be identified more easily, because most of the time it appears in the penis, however in the case of women the identification of hard cancer is more difficult, as it usually appears on the small lips and on the wall of the vagina.
In addition, the identification of hard cancer is hampered by the fact that it disappears naturally after 4 to 5 weeks, without leaving scars or leading to the appearance of other signs or symptoms. However, the disappearance of hard cancer is not a sign of a cure for the disease, but rather that the bacteria is spreading through the body and that it can lead to the appearance of other symptoms as it develops. Learn more about syphilis.
How to confirm the diagnosis
Due to the fact that it does not hurt or cause discomfort, hard cancer is most often identified during routine gynecological or urological examinations, in which, during the physical examination, the doctor identifies the presence of a small pink lump or red ulcer in the genital region.
To confirm that it is a hard cancer, the doctor can scrape the wound to assess the presence of the bacteria at the site or request a test for syphilis, which is known as VDRL, which indicates whether or not there is infection by Treponema pallidum and at what concentration the bacteria is present in the body. Understand how the VDRL is done and how to understand the result.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for hard cancer is done with Penicillin injections, the dose and duration of which should be recommended by the doctor according to the results of the tests. It is important that during and after treatment the person is tested for syphilis so that it is known whether the treatment is being effective. See more details about treatment for syphilis
How to prevent
To prevent the onset of hard cancer it is necessary to reduce the risk of contact with the bacteria Treponema pallidum and for that, it is important that a condom is used during sexual intercourse, even if there is no penetration. This is because hard cancer is highly contagious and thus the bacteria can be easily transmitted from one person to another.
Check out the video below for more information on syphilis: