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Washington: The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, Cervarix, not
only has the potential to prevent cervical cancer but also other
HPV-caused common cancer types, shows a multinational clinical trial,
involving nearly 20,000 young women.
That effectiveness endured for the study's entire follow-up, of up to
four years, the researchers noted.
"The study confirms that targeting young adolescent girls before
sexual debut for prophylactic HPV vaccination has a substantial impact
on the incidence of high grade cervical abnormalities," said
corresponding author Dan Apter, director, The Sexual Health Clinic,
Family Federation of Finland, Helsinki.
The vaccine was extremely effective in young women who had never been
infected with HPV.
It protected nearly all from HPV-16 and 18, and protected 50-100
percent against different grades of precancerous transformation of
cervical cells caused by other strains of HPV.
The women were followed for up to four years post-vaccination.
The vaccine was distinctly more effective among those aged 15-17 than
those aged 18-25, underscoring the value of vaccinating young
adolescents, Apter added.
The lower efficacy in the oldest age group may result from a larger
proportion of women in that age group having had persistent infections
at the time of vaccination, he said.
The study is the final report from the Papilloma Trial Against Cancer
in Young Adults (PATRICIA), a multinational clinical trial,
encompassing 14 countries in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, North
America, and Latin America, and it confirms previous reports in this
trial.
The study appeared in the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.
Credit: ANI
