Soft cancer is a sexually transmitted disease whose causative agent is the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi, which despite the name suggest is not a type of cancer.
Soft cancer is characterized by irregularly shaped genital wounds that appear 3 to 5 days after the unprotected intercourse and can be treated with antibiotics.
Soft cancer has a cure, however, soft cancer does not cure alone, it is necessary to take the antibiotic by the date reported by the doctor. As long as the treatment does not begin to be carried out the disease will continue to be transmitted at every sexual intercourse.
Soft cancer is also known as soft venereal ulcer, cancer, simple venereal cancer and sometimes can be mistaken for syphilis.
Symptoms of soft cancer
Initially it appears: headache, fever and weakness and soon to appear:
- Painful wounds in the genital region with irregular border and bottom, with yellow-green discharge and purulent;
- Inguinal lymph nodes can become swollen, sore, or even leaky with pus and blood.
These wounds can appear on the male and female genitals or the anus and can therefore cause pain during intimate contact and to evacuate. They can also be found on the lips, mouth and throat.
The areas that are most affected are the brake of the head of the penis and the inner part of the large lips in the women. Despite this, women may not have any symptoms and the discovery of the disease can be made during a routine visit.
How to know if it is soft cancer
For the diagnosis of soft cancer one should go to the gynecologist or urologist so that he watches the genitals looking for wounds or lesions. To confirm the disease it may be necessary to do exams that include a wound scraping and sending for laboratory analysis.
In addition, since the disease is a bit like syphilis, your doctor may also order a syphilis-specific blood test, VDRL, which should be repeated 30 days after the start of treatment.
Differences between soft canker and syphilis:
| Soft cancer | Candro hard (Syphilis) |
| Incubation time: 2 to 5 days | Incubation time: 21 to 30 days |
| Several wounds | Single wound |
| The base of the wound is soft | The base of the wound is hard |
| Inflamed and sore tongue on one side only | Swollen tongues on both sides |
| Cause pain | Does not cause any pain |
As with all suspected STDs, the doctor may also request tests to identify the HIV virus.
Treatment for soft cancer
For the treatment of soft cancer, antibiotics and basic hygiene measures are recommended. Learn more details of the treatment by clicking here.
The medicines that can be indicated by the doctor can be:
- Azithromycin (1 g single dose) Via Oral (tablet);
- Ceftriaxone (1 g single dose) Intra Muscular (injection);
- Tianfenicol (5 g single dose) Oral (tablet);
- Ciprofloxacin for 3 days;
- Tetracycline for 15 days;
- Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim for 10 days;
- Erythromycin for 7 days.
Prevention of soft cancer can be done through the use of a condom in all sexual relations, but during treatment intimate contact is discouraged to accelerate healing. In addition, the partner should also be treated at the same time.
Here's how to use the condom to protect yourself from this disease:
- How to properly place the female condom
- How to put the male condom correctly
To complement the treatment, if the pelvic region is very sore because of the inflamed lymph node, which is popularly known as the tongue, the doctor can relieve the discomfort by removing the liquid part with an injection.
