Young Girls Should Receive Cervical Cancer Vaccine, Says American Cancer Society

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Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 21 Jan 2007 - 11:00 PDT

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According to the guidelines of the American Cancer Society, 11-12 year-old girls should receive the new vaccine that protects females from the human papillomavirus (HPV) strains that are responsible for the majority of cervical cancers. These guidelines are supported by the vast majority of scientific and medical organizations. Approximately 11,000 women develop cervical cancer, and over 3,500 die from it, in the USA each year.

You can see the new guidelines in the journal CA - A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

According to the guidelines, the HPV vaccine will only be really effective if its implementation is widespread - it is crucial that women who do not get regular cervical screenings be vaccinated.

Dr. Harmon Eyre, lead author of the guidelines, said "The vaccine holds remarkable potential, but unless the same populations of women who right now do not have access to or do not seek regular Pap tests gets this vaccine, it will have limited impact. Also, as HPV vaccination for the prevention of cervical cancer is introduced and promoted, it remains critical that women undergo regular screening even if they have been vaccinated."

The main highlights of the guidelines are listed below:

-- Women must be screened, regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated

-- Sexually active patients should be offered vaccination, or the subject discussed, as well as Pap screening

-- It is not recommended that HPV testing be carried out before vaccination

-- Everything possible should be done to make sure all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups, particularly females of color, immigrants, people of low income, people who live in rural areas, as well as the uninsured, have access to the HPV vaccine

-- There should be strategies to maximize adherence to vaccination recommendations

-- Providers of the vaccine, policy-makers, parents, adolescents, and young women must be adequately educated about the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. This includes the need for regular screening, even for those who are vaccinated

-- Research must be ongoing to monitor the duration of protective immunity of the vaccine

-- Research must continue to find out whether this vaccine may protect against other cancers

-- Research must continue to design effective, sustainable vaccination programs in less developed parts of the world

"American Cancer Society Guideline for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Use to Prevent Cervical Cancer and Its Precursors"
Debbie Saslow, PhD, Philip E. Castle, PhD, MPH, J. Thomas Cox, MD, Diane D. Davey, MD, Mark H. Einstein, MD, MS, Daron G. Ferris, MD, Sue J. Goldie, MD, MPH, Diane M. Harper, MD, MPH, MS, Walter Kinney, MD, Anna-Barbara Moscicki, MD, Kenneth L. Noller, MD, Cosette M. Wheeler, PhD, Terri Ades, RN, MS, AOCN, Kimberly S. Andrews, Mary K. Doroshenk, MA, Kelly Green Kahn, Christy Schmidt, Omar Shafey, PhD, MPH, Robert A. Smith, PhD, Edward E. Partridge, MD, Francisco Garcia, MD, MPH
CA Cancer J Clin 2007; 57:7-28
Click here to see the guidelines online

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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