UK offers HPV vaccines to boys, aims to stop 100,000 cancer cases

LONDON - Some 100,000 cases of cancer could be prevented in Britain in the next 40 years by a vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cancers of the cervix, mouth, anus and genitals, UK health officials said on Tuesday.

Announcing the extension of a vaccination program to cover boys as well as girls, experts at Public Health England (PHE) said the immunization plan would prevent around 64,000 cervical cancers and nearly 50,000 non-cervical cancers by 2058.

This would be 50 years after the introduction of the HPV vaccination program in Britain - which began in girls in 2008 - when people who were vaccinated as teenagers might otherwise begin to develop HPV-related cancers, PHE said in a statement.

HPV is a sexually transmitted virus linked to more than 99% of cervical cancers, as well as 90% of anal cancers, about 70% of vaginal and vulvar cancers and more than 60% of penile cancers.

PHE said that from September this year boys aged 12 and 13 in Britain will be offered the shots as part of a government health program.

Since UK girls began getting the HPV vaccine in 2008, studies have shown that infections with some key types of the virus have fallen by 86% in 16 to 21 year-olds in England. A Scottish study also showed the vaccine had reduced pre-cancerous cervical disease in women by up to 71%.

Robin Weiss, a professor of viral oncology at University College London, said the extension of the HPV program "should be a win-win situation".

"The HPV vaccine has enjoyed 10 years of success in protecting girls from acquiring cervical cancer as women," he said in an emailed comment. "It appears clear ... that vaccinated boys will themselves benefit from not getting cancer of the penis, anus, and a diminished risk of head and neck cancer." 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

How to prevent cervical cancer

MANILA - Cervical cancer is considered as one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the Philippines, despite being one of the easiest to prevent.

Around 6,700 cases of cervical cancer were reported in the Philippines in 2015. Of this number, around 3,000 or 50 percent of patients died of the said illness.

In an interview on DZMM, Dr. Joy Garcia, an obstetrician-gynecologist and oncologist, said that unlike in first world countries like the US, the number of cervical cancer-related deaths are high in the Philippines.

Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), which can spread through all forms of sexual contact.

"Ang cervical cancer, ang nagsasanhi nito ay 'yung tinatawag natin na HPV. Ang HPV is short for human papillomavirus. Itong virus na 'to ay nakukuha sa pakikipagtalik, iba't ibang uri ng pakikipagtalik," Garcia explained.

HPV also tends to be asymptomatic, with symptoms only showing after 10 to 15 years after a person gets infected.

"Ang una kasing gagawin, 'pag kunyari nahawa tayo ng virus na 'to, 'yung resistensiya natin, mapaalis 'yung virus sa katawan natin. Pero kung kunyari mahina 'yung resistensiya ng babae, o kaya ang daming virus na nailipat sa atin, mananatili 'yung virus na 'yun, at later on, siguro in 10 to 15 years, magkakaroon ng cervical cancer," Garcia added.

The doctor also lamented how cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the Philippines, considering that it is very easy to prevent.

"Bago pa maging cancer, dadaan pa siya sa pre-cancer. May sakit na ang cervix, pero hindi pa siya cancer. At itong sakit na ito na pre-cancer, napakadaling gamutin," Garcia said.

"Dito kasi sa Philippines, marami pa rin ang hindi alam kung gaano kaimportante 'yung paano siya iiwasan, at paano siya mahuhuli ng maaga," she added.

A woman should also get tested three years after her first sexual experience.

"Lahat ng kababaihan, dapat alam nila na once magkaroon na sila ng karanasan sa pakikipagtalik, dapat alam na nila na nagpapa-pap smear sila taon-taon until 65 to 70 years old," Garcia said, adding that women as young as 21 years old can get a pap smear.

Aside from getting a pap smear, a woman can also undergo HPV DNA testing, and get a vaccine against HPV to prevent cervical cancer.

Just like any other kinds of cancer, early detection can lead to early treatment.

Those infected with HPV can undergo surgery or total hysterectomy, depending on the severity of the infections.

"Kung surgery, pwedeng may tinatanggal sa part ng cervix, pwedeng total hysterectomy. 'Pag tapyas lang, part lang ng cervix 'yung aalisin, may chance pang magbuntis at manganak ang babae," Garcia said.

Women who underwent hysterectomy and radiation therapy, however, will lose their ability to bear children.

Smoking and taking oral contraception also increase the risk of cervical cancer, according to Garcia.

"So kunyari nakipagtalik ako, nahawa ako nung virus. Kung smoker ako, mas lalong dumidikit 'yung virus sa cervix ko. Kung matagal akong gumagamit ng oral contraception o pills para hindi mabuntis, mas dumidikit 'yung virus sa cervix ko. Mas nahihirapan 'yung katawan kong paalisin 'yung virus sa katawan ko."

Although men are often carriers of HPV, there are only very few men who get infected with it.

"Carrier ang lalaki, pero hindi sila favorite nung virus. Pwede rin silang mag-penile cancer dahil sa HPV, pero hindi kasing taas, kasing favorite ng cervix."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why you should be concerned about cervical cancer

MANILA — Regardless of social status, age and lifestyle, cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among Filipinas. To exacerbate the situation, two in three Filipinas diagnosed with cervical cancer may die within five years.

The World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (WHO-SAGE) on Immunization stressed the importance getting girls protected from cervical cancer through HPV immunization before their first exposure to HPV (i.e. before sexual contact), as young as nine years old.

The Geneva, Switzerland-based organization said the risk of persistent infection with cancer-causing HPV (which is necessary for cervical cancer to develop) gets higher with age, and is highest when a woman is over 66 years old.

The organization urged regular screening starting age 21 to detect cervical abnormalities that precede actual cervical cancer. Vaccination is also recommended for older women to prevent new HPV infections.

To counter the threat of cervical cancer in the country, cosmetic manufacturer VMV Hypoallergenic formed a partnership with GSK Philippines to spread awareness on the dangers posed by cervical cancer.

“We are fully committed toward this partnership with GSK Philippines. At VMV Hypoallergenics, we promise the safest, most proven effective care on the planet — and that extends to beauty. This unique combination of science, wellness and beauty means we also strongly stand for advocacies that help women, their health and happiness," said Jacklyn Remo, assistant marketing manager for VMV Hypoallergenics.

GSK continues to boost its cervical cancer awareness efforts this year. In the Philippines, the Power Over Cervical Cancer campaign urges Filipinas to realize that they are empowered and can do something to prevent the disease.

Popular hosts Andi Manzano-Reyes and Ginger Conejero graced the occasion.

In commemoration of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, GSK Philippines and VMV launched their campaign recently in Makati called Put On Your Power Pout.

The partnership introduced a twist on spreading awareness: encouraging women to join the movement by wearing purple lipstick to show their support for the advocacy on cervical cancer prevention.

“Cancer is quite a distant concept for women who are well. What might be more important to them is keeping up with the latest trends, especially in fashion and beauty. The lipstick is a woman’s own — when she wears it, she makes a statement about herself. Through this partnership with VMV, we hope to drive women to make a statement against cervical cancer,” said Mark Castillo, GSK product manager.

Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells develop and spread in the cervix, the entrance between the vagina and the uterus. The human papillomavirus (HPV), a very common virus, is the necessary cause of cervical cancer. It has been shown that 99.7% of cervical cancer patients are positive for HPV infection. It is also estimated that up to 80% of women will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives.

While HPV is primarily transmitted via sexual intercourse, skin-to-skin genital contact is also a recognized mode of transmission.

Lifestyle changes can help prevent the development of cervical cancer, such as being conscientious about one’s sexual activities. Beyond regular consultations and pap smears by your OB-GYN, vaccines that protect against cancer-causing HPV are also now readily available.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Oral HPV infections more common in men, study says

WASHINGTON - Mouth and throat infections of a common sexually transmitted disease known as human papillomavirus, which can lead to cancer, are more common among men than women, said a US study on Thursday.

About seven percent of the US population age 14-69 has oral HPV, said the research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, with a prevalence rate of 10.1 percent among men and 3.6 percent among women.

The findings shed more light on a growing epidemic of HPV-linked head and neck cancers which are expected to eclipse cervical cancer cases by 2020, and could warrant clinical trials of an HPV vaccine against oral lesions, the study authors said.

Currently the HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys as early as age nine and 10 to prevent cervical and anal cancers.

The study included 5,579 people who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010, and agreed to a 30-second oral rinse test at a mobile examination center.

Oral HPV was found to be more prevalent among people who had more lifetime or recent sex partners, and was also more frequent in current smokers, heavy alcohol drinkers and among former and current marijuana users.

Peak rates of oral HPV among men were seen at age 60-64, with 11.4 percent of cases in that age range. The next highest oral HPV prevalence was seen in men age 30-34.

According to lead author Maura Gillison of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the data suggests that a sexual link is likely the cause of the oral HPV infections that researchers saw.

"Taken together, these data indicate that transmission by casual, nonsexual contact is likely to be unusual," she wrote, urging more study in this area to establish what researchers call the "natural history" of a disease.

"Although oral HPV infection is the cause of a cancer that is increasing in incidence in the United States, little is known regarding the epidemiology of infection," Gillison wrote.

"Natural history studies of oral HPV infection are therefore necessary to understand the effects of age, sex, and modifiable risk factors (e.g., smoking and sexual behavior) on the incidence and duration of oral HPV infection."

Oral cancers have "significantly increased over the last three decades in several countries and HPV has been directly implicated as the underlying cause," according to background information in the article.

Gillison, who has been studying HPV and cancer for 15 years, told a US science conference last year that when comparing people who have oral HPV to those who do not, "the single greatest factor is the number of partners on whom the person has performed oral sex."

People with oral HPV infections are 50 times more likely to get oral cancer than people who do not have HPV.

Researchers have found a 225-percent increase in oral cancer cases in the United States from 1974 to 2007, mainly among white men.

HPV is linked to almost 13,000 cases of cervical cancer yearly in US women, 4,300 of which are fatal. Researchers expect the number of oral cancer cases will surpass the number of cervical cancer cases in the next eight years.

The study was funded in part by the pharmaceutical giant Merck, which makes a vaccine against HPV.

Merck's Gardasil was approved for girls and women from age nine to 26 in June 2006 and for males in the same age range in October 2009. — Agence France Presse

source:gmanetwork.com