Cervical cancer - a single vaccine could benefit most womenSeptember 20, 2003The risk of developing cervical cancer by women infected with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is essentially the same no matter which type of virus is involved, provided it belongs to the group of 15 or so that are currently identified as high risk, a scientist said today. Speaking at ECCO 12 - The European Cancer Conference in Copenhagen, Dr. Xavier Bosch, of the Institut Catal' d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain, said that testing with a cocktail of the majority of high risk type virus would provide a sufficient answer for clinical guidance, and be important to the success of any future screening or vaccination programmes. HPV is an extremely common sexually transmitted infection. In many cases the infections are harmless and go away without the need for treatment. But persistent infection with certain types of HPV increases the risk of cervical cancer. These types can be detected in 90-100% of cases of cervical cancer, as opposed to 5-20% of controls. These types are believed to be a necessary cause of cervical cancer and this provides a strong rationale for their use in screening and for the development of anti-HPV vaccines. "Women who are not infected persistently with one of the cancer-causing types of HPV do not develop cervical cancer", said Dr. Bosch, "and this knowledge is helping us develop effective prevention programmes." Dr. Bosch and colleagues derived their specific risk estimates from studying a pool of evidence collected by IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, based in Lyon, France. In Europe it is estimated that 65000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year, of which 21000 eventually lead to death. HPV carriers are typically young and sexually active, and evidence suggests that males and females are equally likely to be carriers. "In Europe and North America a vaccine including HPV 16 and 18 - the most common high risk types of the virus - would prevent 72% of cases among the vaccinated", said Dr. Bosch. "A vaccine containing types 16,18,33,31 and 45 would cover 84% of the cases." HPV vaccinations are still in the experimental stage, and the vaccine would be expensive at introduction, said Dr. Bosch. "But the gains in the longer term would be huge, both in terms of healthcare costs and in women's quality of life. In the meantime, participation in effective screening programs, particularly if they includes HPV testing, can detect and prevent many potential cases of cervical cancer at a very early stage." MR Communication and Analysis Ltd |
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| Related Cervical Cancer Current Events and Cervical Cancer News Articles 1 disease, not 1 demographic The Asian continent has nearly four billion people living in 47 different countries, and each of these groups has their own unique set of health issues. But when they come to the United States, they're often lumped into one large demographic: "Asian/Pacific Islander." Alternatively spliced tissue factor identified as promising new biomarker for aggressive cancers A recently discovered form of the protein that triggers blood clotting may play a key role in the molecular mechanisms leading to the growth of certain metastatic cancers, according to new research reported by an international team of scientists. M. D. Anderson redefines screening guidelines for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers Drawing on years of experience in cancer research and patient care, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center released today the most comprehensive, risk-based screening guidelines publicly available to date for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. Study finds delay in follow-up among African-American women receiving abnormal breast finding A new analysis has identified a significant delay in follow-up times among African-American women after the finding of a suspicious breast abnormality. UIC study finds girls aware of HPV vaccine's benefits Contrary to concerns that the human papillomavirus vaccine might promote promiscuity, a national survey of girls and young women found that the majority of respondents did not believe the HPV vaccine protected them against other sexually transmitted infections. Scientists identify common HPV genotypes in northern India, encourage vaccination Although a wide spectrum of human papillomavirus is seen across the population of India, HPV-16 and HPV-18 are the most common types and a vaccination targeting these types could eliminate 75 percent of the cervical cancers in the region. Vaccinating boys against human papillomavirus not cost-effective Persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is known to be a cause of cervical cancer. Vaccination and testing for the human papilloma virus could eradicate cervical cancer Cervical cancer could be eradicated within the next 50 years if countries implement national screening programmes based on detection of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes the disease, together with vaccination programmes against the virus, according to a cervical cancer screening expert. Targeted heat therapy offers new standard treatment option for soft tissue sarcoma Patients with soft-tissue sarcomas at high risk of spreading were 30% more likely to be alive and cancer free almost three years after starting treatment if their tumours were heated at the time they received chemotherapy, according to new research. Even in a safety net health system, colorectal cancer screening disparities remain Colorectal cancer screening rates are much lower among those in a safety net health system compared to the national average, and the number one predictor of screening is a combination of regular visits and insurance access. More Cervical Cancer Current Events and Cervical Cancer News Articles |
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