HPV

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been recommended as part of the routine vaccination schedule for girls aged 11-12 since 2006 for the prevention of cervical cancer. In 2009, the FDA licensed the vaccine for use in males aged 9-26 years for the prevention of genital warts caused by two types of HPV, but the vaccine was not yet recommended for boys as part of the routine immunization schedule.

Meeting today at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend routine immunization against HPV for boys at age 11-12. ACIP members, experts selected by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, develop the recommendations that are used in the U.S. Recommended Childhood, Adolescent and Adult Immunization Schedules. More

A study published in the October 3, 2011, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology reveals a startling rise in the rate of head and neck cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV). The study looked at specimens from 271 throat cancers (specifically  oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, or OPSCC) collected over 20 years. The researchers found that HPV prevalence in the cancers increased from 16.3% during 1984 to 1989 to 71.7% during 2000 to 2004. They note that “The overall rise in OPSCC incidence during 1984 to 2004 is largely explained by the increasing incidence of HPV-positive cancers, whereas incidence of HPV-negative cancers declined.” The decline in non-HPV related oropharyngeal cancers, which are usually related to tobacco or alcohol use, is likely a result of lower tobacco exposure. The HPV-related cancers, as opposed to the non-HPV-related cancers, were more likely to occur in younger, male, and white individuals. The authors speculate that the increased incidence “perhaps arises from increased oral sex and oral HPV exposure over calendar time.” More

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is primarily known for its role in causing cervical cancer. Two strains of the virus – strains 16 and 18 – are estimated to be responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases, leading to about 500,000 new cases and 270,000 deaths worldwide each year.

Both of the HPV vaccines available in the United States have been shown to be effective in preventing cervical infection with strains 16 and 18. The Gardasil quadrivalent vaccine also offers protection against two strains that cause genital warts. But HPV’s role in cancer is not limited to cervical cancer; the virus can also cause oral, anal, and penile cancer. More

There are two vaccines, Gardasil (made by Merck) and Cervarix (made by GlaxoSmithKline), approved to prevent cervical cancer caused by HPV (human papillomavirus). Both vaccines protect against HPV strains 16 and 18, which are estimated to account for 70% of cervical and vaginal cancer cases. Gardasil (human papillomavirus [HPV] vaccine, quadrivalent) also offers protection against two strains that cause genital warts.

Gardasil was the first of the two vaccines to be introduced in the United States. In 2006, it was approved for use in preventing cervical cancer and genital warts for girls and women between nine and 26 years of age. Since then, based on additional data, it has also been approved for the prevention of vulvar and vaginal cancer, and for the prevention of genital warts in boys and men between nine and 26 years of age. Now, new data have led a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel to recommend expanding the vaccine's use to include the prevention of anal cancer, a disease whose incidence doubled in the United States between 1975 and 2007. More