Cervical Cancer Vaccine Approved

On Thursday, June 8 the cervical cancer vaccine was approved for use in the United States. The vaccine, called Gardasil, guards against cancer and genital warts caused by the human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted disease. The vaccine prevents lasting infections with two human papillomavirus strains that cause 70 percent of cancers and another two strains that cause 90 percent of genital warts. The vaccine is only effective if given before a woman is exposed to the virus, thus this vaccine should be administered before a woman becomes sexually active.

In the United States, about 20 million people are infected by the human papillomavirus each year. By the time women reach the age of 50, 80 percent have been infected.

Most HPV infections are quickly dealt with by the immune system, but about 10% of women infected with HPV will develop problems which could either be genital warts or cervical precancer (dysplasia). Rarely, cervical cancer can develop, but is usually seen in women who are not getting regular Pap smears.

Pap smears can detect precancerous changes to the uterus, but the tests are sometimes wrong, missing some cases and leading to unnecessary procedures in others. Because Gardasil protects against only four viral strains and its effects in those four will take decades to have widespread effect, health officials are recommending that women continue to undergo routine Pap tests.

Cervical cancer is the second-leading cause of death in women across the globe, affecting an estimated 470,000 women and killing 233,000 each year. Widespread use of Pap smears has reduced its toll in richer nations. In the United States, about 9,710 women contract cervical cancer each year and roughly 3,700 die.

Gardasil, which was approved for girls and women ages 9 to 26, is available in doctors' offices. The three-shot course has been reported to cost $360.

An independent panel formed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to decide June 29 who should get the vaccine. The panel is expected to recommend vaccinations for all 11- to 12-year-old girls, while agreeing that girls as young as 9 or women as old as 26 can get the vaccine if they wish. It is also expected to suggest that states make vaccinations mandatory.

 For information on this subject, please see the CDC website.