Vaccine stops 75% of deaths from Cervical Cancer

[n2doc]

Cancer jab 'stops 75% of deaths'

Both vaccines block the human papillomavirus
Vaccinating all 12-year-old girls against the virus which causes most cervical cancers could cut deaths from the disease by 75%, a study suggests.
GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix jab targets two strains of the human papillomavirus. The firm's findings were presented at the International Papillomavirus Conference, along with a study on rival jab Gardasil from Sanofi Pasteur. Gardasil was found to be effective on more strains of HPV than first thought. For the Cervarix research, a computer model was used to predict the outcome of vaccinating all 12-year-old girls in the UK - a total of 376,385. Applied to the whole of the UK on the basis of the latest cervical cancer figures, it would mean 262 deaths each year, compared with the current level of around 1,000.

The number of annual cases of the disease would also drop from 2,841 to 682. The researchers admitted 100% coverage assumed in the study was unrealistic, but said even if 80% were vaccinated, the number of deaths would drop by 61%. Cervarix works by targeting HPV 16 and HPV 18, the two most common forms of the disease. It has also been found to be effective at targeting some of the other most common strains.

Competition

GSK is in fierce competition with Sanofi Pasteur, who are about to see their vaccine, Gardasil, granted a European licence. Cervarix is still being developed and will not reach European approval stage for around another year. The research into Gardasil, presented at the conference in Prague, the Czech Republic and funded by Sanofi Pasteur, found it provided protection against 85% of HPV strains responsible for cervical cancer - up from 75% shown by previous studies. Dr Nick Kitchin, medical director at Sanofi Pasteur, said the results were "very promising".

Dr Anne Szarewski, clinical consultant at Cancer Research UK, said: "HPV vaccination offers great promise in terms of reducing the number of cases of cervical cancer and preventing deaths from it. "Beyond the cases and the deaths, hundreds of thousands of women each year in the UK suffer anxiety when they have an abnormal smear result. "The idea of finally being able to prevent cases of cervical cancer with a vaccine is extremely exciting."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5311598.stm

[rodeodance]

1. "262 deaths each year" This would mean horrible, painful deaths. I have

seen women die of cervical cancer and it is horrible.

[rodeodance]

2. There is resistance to this already in the US (12 yr old girls)--will pro-

mote sex they say.

[n2doc]

3. Better they die than have sex

unless it is with some old, republican male with a pe**s pump...:sarcasm:

[Arkansas Granny]

4. And they say this as if the risk of HPV infection which may lead

to cervical cancer will discourage young women from having sex. These people live in a dream world and they think that abstinence before marriage will solve every problem related to a woman's sexuality. They never consider the possibility of a woman becoming infected with HPV after marriage. I guess they assume that none of their husbands will have had premarital sex either.

[sharp_stick]

5. You know it

All those little wannabe skanks, they're just waiting until the threat of cervical cancer has been taken away and then off they go. It must be another sign of the apocalypse, rapture index must be up to fasten your seatbelts over this.

[mtnester]

6. This will promote extra sexual conduct....

like a DPT vaccine promotes people to run amok puncturing themselves with rusty nails.

[trotsky]

7. What's the anti-vax crowd's opinion on this?

The anti-vaccination movement is large and diverse. Some are opposed only to the use of thimerosal. Others don't think we should use ANY vaccines. Seems to me liberals belonging to at least the latter group will have a tough time reconciling their belief with this proven life-saving vaccine.