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Taking the first steps against human
papillomavirus (HPV)
From Spotlight on Health Aug./Sept. 2007
Almost daily, Jon Dennis, M.D., gets
questions about the recently approved
vaccine against cervical cancer.
“Parents are hearing a great deal about
this in the media and
want to learn more about
it before making a
decision for their
daughters,” said Dennis, a
pediatrician with
CentraCare Clinic -
Women & Children.
The Quadrivalent Human
Papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, 18)
Recombinant Vaccine was approved
by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) in June 2006
for females age 9 to 26. |
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The vaccine is
designed to prevent 70 percent of
cervical cancer and certain
precancerous lesions, as well as 90
percent of genital warts. It is not
intended to be used for treatment of
these conditions and does not
substitute for routine cervical cancer
screening.
“Most importantly, it is the first
vaccine approved to prevent a specific
type of cancer,” Dennis said. “And the
down side, I tell my patients, is that
it’s a series of three shots.”
The review of vaccine reactions by the
FDA primarily shows fainting and
soreness. There has not been any
pattern of unexpected severe side
effects to date, Dennis said.
This three-injection vaccine is
administered at two and six months
after the first dose. The recommended
age for vaccination of females is
11-12 years.
While the vaccine is still fairly new,
Dennis said, the benefit of
preventing this type of cancer far
outweighs the risks of side effects. But he also encourages anyone
considering the vaccine to have this
discussion with her personal
physician.
“If I had a daughter that age, I would
definitely encourage her to get the
vaccine,” Dennis added.
Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infects 6.2 million persons in the
United States every year. During 2007, an estimated 11,100 new cases of
cervical cancer will be diagnosed and approximately 3,700 women will die
from this disease. In certain countries where Pap smear screening is not
routine, cervical cancer is a common cancer in women.
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