Joined: 27 May 2006 Posts: 319 Location: Gastonia, NC.
Hpv, Cancer And the Vaccine Posted: 06-05-06 08:17am
Vaccine due out june 9th even if you
already have hpv you should get the
vaccine to prevent infection from further
strains
hpv, cancer and the vaccine
here are some questions and answers about
hpv and cancer.
What is human papillomavirus?
It's the name of a group of about 100
viruses or strains; about 30 of which are
sexually transmitted and can infect the
genital area in men and women. It's
commonly called hpv.
Why worry?
Because more than half of sexually active
men and women have been infected with hpv,
according to the centers for disease
control and prevention.
What does it do?
Most people clear the virus from their
body in about 19 months, without knowing
they were infected, according to jed
delmore, director of the division of
gynecologic oncology at the university of
kansas school of medicine-wichita.
But it can cause cancer, in men and women.
It's blamed for more than 99 percent of
cervical cancer cases. It also can cause
genital warts.
How is it diagnosed?
Most women are diagnosed on the basis of
abnormal pap smears. Genital warts are
diagnosed by visual inspection. A dna
test can show the presence of hpv
antibodies, but it's not commercially
available.
What do the vaccines do?
One protects against four of the hpv forms
associated with cancer, the other against
two. They could prevent about 90 percent
of cervical cancers.
Who would be vaccinated?
A food and drug administration committee
has recommended it for girls and women 9
to 26 years old. It would be given at a
young age because once a person has been
infected, he or she develops protective
antibodies, so the vaccine wouldn't be
effective.
What's the controversy?
First, some people don't think it's a good
idea because it might seem to send the
message that it's ok to be sexually active
at a very young age.
Second, it's expensive: the vaccine
expected to be approved first would cost
$300 to $500 for the three shots, given
over six months. And, delmore says, it's
likely that those who are most at risk
wouldn't get the shots because of the
cost. They also aren't as likely to get
regular screenings, which means problems
may not be caught early enough to treat
effectively.
Delmore says making the vaccine universal
could be beneficial: in addition to
reducing the infection rate, it could cut
the rate of cervical cancer and reduce the
number of abnormal pap smears, biopsies
and other tests.
Does it last forever?
That's not known. Both vaccines seem to
be effective for at least five years, but
no one knows yet whether a booster might
be required.
Why isn't it recommended for boys and
men?
Someday it might be, since they also can
suffer ill effects from hpv and can
transmit it to women. But so far, the
research on its effectiveness in men isn't
complete.
