Nearly all cervical cancers (over 11,000 cases yearly in the U.S.) are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). In 2006, the Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) launched a vaccination program for young women to help prevent this cancer. A recent report from CDC shows that 1 in 4 adolescent girls (16 million) are now vaccinated for HPV.
The reduction of deaths from cervical cancer is one of medicine's best success stories. The number of deaths were cut about in half when the PAP test (secondary prevention, including screening and early treatment) became widely available. Now, with the availability of a vaccine (primary prevention), the rate of cervical cancer can be dramatically reduced again. The vaccine appears to be very effective, stopping essentially all infections from the two most common strains of HPV. The CDC recommends HPV vaccination for all women younger than age 26 (recommended at age 11-12, before they become sexually active).
The question remaining in many people's minds is its safety. The CDC recently released reports dealing with the safety of this vaccine. In a large surveillance study (ongoing since 2006) including over 375,000 doses of the vaccine, they found "no increased risk of adverse events among female patients who received the vaccine compared with those who did not:" This included concerns some had about Guillain-Barre syndrome and other potential problems.
Other preventive measures that have been shown to be effective include not smoking, a faithful monogamous relationship in marriage (most effective), and eating more fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables seem to help the body fight the infection and resolve the infection. One study showed a 54 percent decrease in risk of persistent HPV infection with a high intake of fruits and vegetables. Eating papaya (at least weekly) was specifically noted to reduce the risk of persistent HIV infection.
References:
Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:2713-2714.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. 2002;11:876-884.
American Cancer Society. Website accessed Dec. 26, 2008. |
