Few cancers can be totally prevented but your risk may be decreased significantly by reducing your risk factors and by getting regular checkups. Avoid anal sex and infection with HPV and HIV. Use condoms whenever having any kind of intercourse. Although condoms do not eliminate the risk of infection, they do reduce it. Stopping smoking lowers the risk of many types of cancer, including anal cancer.

Anal cancer screening may be performed in high-risk individuals. Anal cancer screening may include an anal Pap smear or anoscopy. An anal pap smear is the same type of test used to screen women for cervical cancer. A swab is passed into the anal canal and cells that come off on the swab are examined under a microscope. Anoscopy is the evaluation of the anal canal using a special scope that allows the physician to visually examine the lining of the anal canal. Any individual with an abnormal anal pap smear should have a follow-up anoscopy to examine the anal canal.

People who are at increased risk should talk to their doctors about anal cancer screening. Individuals who are at particularly increased risk include HIV-positive men, men who have sex with men, individuals with multiple sexual partners and women with a history of cervical warts or precancerous changes identified in the cervix.