RICHMOND, Va. – Sept. 25, 2025 – VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, along with 61 other National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers , several leading national cancer health organizations and the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, have endorsed a joint statement urging the nation’s health care systems, health care providers, parents, caregivers and the public to choose the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for cancer prevention.
“Consistent with our commitment to the concept of 'one team, one fight,’ Massey continues to align with other NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers to jointly endorse the importance of HPV vaccination,” said Kim Rhoads, M.D., M.S., MPH, FACS , associate director of community engagement at Massey and professor of surgery in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. “Only a handful of cancers are truly preventable. Six of those preventable cancers are caused by HPV infection. Reducing HPV infection through vaccination will put our country on track to potentially eliminate these cancers.”
HPV vaccination is safe and works to prevent six types of cancer (oropharyngeal, cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar and penile). Recently released National Immunization Survey (NIS)-Teen data show no gains in HPV vaccination over the last few years, indicating an urgent need to ensure children today are protected against HPV-related cancers they may develop later in life.
Nearly 80 million Americans – one out of every four people – are infected with HPV. Of those millions, more than 40,000 will be diagnosed with HPV-related cancers this year, and hundreds of thousands more with pre-cancers caused by HPV. Despite those staggering figures and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV infections, HPV vaccination coverage remains significantly lower than other recommended vaccines for teens in the U.S.
To ensure protection against HPV-related cancers and move closer to the elimination of these disease types, starting with cervical cancer as a public health concern in the U.S., HPV vaccination is essential.
“Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable,” said Jaclyn Wall, M.D. , gynecologic oncologist at Massey. “Almost all cervical cancer is driven by HPV, and it can be prevented by the HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccine should be given to adolescents when they're around their early middle school years. Studies have been done that show the eradication of HPV-caused cervical cancers in patients who are adequately vaccinated.”
The call to action comes during the back-to-school period, a time during which most children ages nine to 12 are vaccinated against HPV, and also during Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about gynecologic cancers such as cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer, caused by HPV. Massey and the fellow organizations advocating for HPV vaccination collectively encourage the following actions:
Health care systems’ staff and providers should immediately identify and contact parents and caregivers of age-eligible children who are due for HPV vaccination, and encourage them to complete vaccinations.
Parents and caregivers should have their age-eligible children vaccinated as soon as possible. A list of recommended vaccines is available on the CDC website and American Academy of Pediatrics website .
Talk with family members and friends about HPV vaccination. Share the facts about HPV vaccination as cancer prevention.
Learn more about HPV vaccination from the CDC , American Cancer Society (ACS) , ACS National HPV Vaccination Roundtable , and AAP .
Sixty-two NCI-Designated Cancer Centers with leading national organizations and the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center endorse this statement and share the goal of sending a powerful message about the importance of HPV vaccination for the prevention of HPV-related cancers. HPV vaccination is safe, effective and provides long-lasting protection against HPV-related cancers and other conditions associated with HPV.
List of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers Endorsing Statement
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Case Western Reserve University Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dartmouth Cancer Center
Duke Cancer Institute
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium
Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center
Jefferson Health Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
Masonic Cancer Center
Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas San Antonio Health Science Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center
NYU Langone’s Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center
O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Purdue Institute for Cancer Research
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Rutgers Cancer Institute
Salk Cancer Center
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stephenson Cancer Center
The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center
The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
The Wistar Institute Cancer Center
UC Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UK Markey Cancer Center
UM Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Arizona Cancer Center
University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Hawaii Cancer Center
University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Kansas Cancer Center
University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute
UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center
UW Carbone Cancer Center
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Wilmot Cancer Institute
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Yale Cancer Center
List of National Organizations Endorsing Statement
American Association for Cancer Research
American Cancer Society
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Society of Preventive Oncology
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Cervivor
Prevent Cancer Foundation
The University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center has also endorsed this statement.
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