An estimated 92% of cancers caused by HPV could be prevented by vaccine - YubaNet

An estimated 92% of cancers caused by HPV could be prevented by vaccine - YubaNet
New test could diagnose cervical cancer earlier in women with HPV - Metro.co.uk
With cancer risk timeline, middle-aged women recognize need for cervix screening - Reuters

Posted: 22 Aug 2019 11:57 AM PDT

August 22, 2019 – During 2012-2016, an average of 43,999 HPV-associated cancers were reported each year, according to a new study published today in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Among the estimated 34,800 cancers probably caused by HPV, 92 percent are attributable to the HPV types that are included in the HPV vaccine and could be prevented if HPV vaccine recommendations were followed, according to the report.

HPV is a common virus that can lead to certain types of cancers in men and women. It causes cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils). The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause these cancers.

"A future without HPV cancers is within reach, but urgent action is needed to improve vaccine coverage rates," said ADM Brett P. Giroir, MD, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health. "Increasing HPV vaccination coverage to 80% has been and will continue to be a priority initiative for HHS, and we will continue to work with our governmental and private sector partners to make this a reality."

CDC researchers analyzed 2012-2016 data from the CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to determine the incidence of HPV-associated cancers, and to estimate the annual number of cancers attributable to the HPV types in the currently available HPV vaccine. This report marks the first time these data are available at the state-level.

Key findings

During 2012-2016, an estimated average of 34,800 HPV-attributable cancers were diagnosed each year.
The most common cancers were cervical (9,700) and oropharyngeal cancer (12,600).
The number of cancers attributable to HPV types targeted by the vaccine ranged by state from 40 in Wyoming to 3,270 in California.
Oropharyngeal cancer was the most common cancer attributable to the vaccine types in all states, except in Texas where cervical cancer was most common.
In Alaska, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, and New York, the estimates of oropharyngeal and cervical cancers attributable to the types in the currently available HPV vaccine were the same.

Not all teens vaccinated

CDC recommends that all preteens get the HPV vaccine when they are 11 or 12 years old to protect them before they are ever exposed to the virus. However, additional new data also released today in the MMWR show little progress toward increasing HPV vaccination rates among teens ages 13- to 17-years. These data, collected as part of the 2018 National Immunization Survey Teen (NIS-Teen) show a 4 percentage point increase in HPV vaccination rates among teen boys and less than a 1 percentage point increase among teen girls. Overall, just 51% of all teens had received all recommended doses of the HPV vaccine, a 2-percentage point increase from 2017.

HPV vaccination rates were higher in teens whose parents reported receiving a recommendation from their child's healthcare professional. Consistently, data shows that physicians play a key role in educating parents and are the most trusted source of information for parents of pre-teens eligible for vaccination. CDC and state health departments continue to encourage health care professionals to talk to parents and provide them with information on the benefits of vaccination to prevent cancer and save lives.

"The HPV vaccine continues to be the best way to protect our young boys and girls from developing certain cancers, including cervical cancer, "said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. "This new data shows 1 in 4 parents who received a medical recommendation for the HPV vaccine chose not to have their child vaccinated. The HPV vaccine is safe, and we encourage parents to get their pre-teens vaccinated and take the next step to prevent their children from developing HPV-related cancer later in life."

HPV vaccine an option for older people

The HPV vaccine is recommended for everyone through age 26 if they did not get vaccinated when they were younger. Vaccination is not recommended for people older than 26 years. However, some adults ages 27 through 45 years who are not vaccinated for HPV may decide to be vaccinated after speaking with their doctor about their risk for new HPV infections and the possible benefits of vaccination. HPV vaccination in this age range provides less benefit, as more people have likely been exposed to HPV.

In addition to HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening is recommended for women ages 21-65.

"Every year in the United States, HPV causes cancer in men and women, but we have the power to change this," explained Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, director of CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. "Cervical cancer was once the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S. The HPV vaccine and cervical cancer screening have made it one of the most preventable cancers. HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. We can protect our loved ones with the HPV vaccine."

Women ages 21-29 years can be screened with a Pap test every three years. In addition to the Pap test, a test called the HPV test looks for HPV infection. Among women ages 30 to 65 years there are three strategies: (1) Pap test alone every three years, (2) the HPV test used with the Pap test every five years, or (3) the HPV test alone every five years. The HPV test can provide additional information when Pap test results are unclear for women ages 21 and older.

For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/index.htm.

New test could diagnose cervical cancer earlier in women with HPV - Metro.co.uk

Posted: 12 Aug 2019 12:00 AM PDT

Papilloma virus, HPV). It causes cervical cancer. Image taken with transmission electron microscopy — A new test could predict early signs of women at risk of developing cervical cancer (Picture: Getty)

Doctors will soon be able to predict earlier whether a woman is at risk of developing cervical cancer by using a new test, say scientists.

Nearly all cervical cancers – 99 per cent – are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) meaning women who contract it need to be regularly monitored.

As there are more than 200 types of HPVs associated with varying degrees of cancer, the process of diagnosis and treatment can become complicated.

However, researchers have come up with a new approach that not only detects the type of HPV infection, but also indicates precancerous markers.

The new test, called HPV RNA-Seq, may enable doctors to diagnose even the riskiest types of the infection, provide quick low cost results and avoid unnecessary diagnostic procedures.

It can even identify patients with precancerous lesions in the cervix, revealed the study published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

Researchers believe it may also be useful for other HPV-associated cancers, such as anal cancer and head and neck cancer.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine — An HPV vaccine is given to children between the age of 12 and 13 (Picture: Shutterstock)

The test was used to analyse samples from 55 patients, 28 with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and 27 patients with precancerous high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL).

It was able to detect and determine the type of HPV infection among a group of 16 high-risk HPVs.

It detected two more HPV-positive patients than the DNA test and also identified more patients with multiple HPV infections, researchers say.

The test was found to have a sensitivity – ability to detect the presence of an HPV – of 97.3 per cent, and negative predictive value (NPV) – likelihood of not having HPV – of 93.8 per cent.

Professor Marc Eloit of the Pathogen Discovery Laboratory at the Institute Pasteur, Paris, said: 'Effective cervical cancer screening requires high sensitivity and NPV for high-risk HPV infection, since women with a negative HPV test are usually tested again only after several years.'

It emerged over the weekend that Boris Johnson's estranged wife Marina Wheeler is recovering from cervical cancer – undergoing two operations after routine screenings revealed abnormal cells.

Ms Wheeler, who separated from Mr Johnson last year, has now urged other women to make time for a test.

She told the Sunday Times: 'If you are basically healthy, active and energetic, it is easy to think you are immortal, but none of us is.'

With cancer risk timeline, middle-aged women recognize need for cervix screening - Reuters

Posted: 21 Aug 2019 11:45 AM PDT

(Reuters Health) - When middle-aged women realize their cervical cancer risk from HPV lasts decades, more of them decide to get screened for this cancer than when they only know HPV has a role in cancer, without an explicit timeline, a small study found.

Human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer up to 30 years after infection. Older women may think their sexual activity levels today don't put them at risk - so uncoupling their risk perception from their current sex lives could encourage middle-aged women to understand they still need cervical cancer screening, the study authors write in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

"Women in their 50s and 60s who are putting off screening because they do not think they are at risk anymore should know that it is still important for them to be screened," said Laura Marlow of University College London in the UK, who led the study.

Since the most common risk factor typically mentioned in relation to cervical cancer is having multiple sexual partners, women in this age group may not think they have a risk for human papillomavirus (HPV) or cervical cancer, and they're also more likely to make an active decision not to be screened, Marlow said.

"Women can benefit from regular cervical screening, not only protecting them against cervical cancer during this period, but also into their 70s and 80s," Marlow told Reuters Health by email. "This cohort has not been offered HPV vaccination, so attending screening is their only opportunity to prevent cervical cancer."

Marlow and colleagues studied nearly 600 women in the UK aged 50-64 who said in an initial survey that they did not intend to get cervix screening. Researchers randomly assigned the women to three groups, each of which was given a text with information about HPV to read.

Women in one group received what the researchers called "cause only" information about HPV and cervical cancer, a second group received "cause with basic timeline" information explaining that HPV can cause cervical cancer long after infection (10-30 years). The third group received "cause with explicit timeline" information, which included the information given to the second group plus the explicit statement, "This means that even if you have not been sexually active for a long time or have only had one partner for a long time, you could still be at risk of cervical cancer."

Most women were overdue for a screening, and about one in six said they had never been screened.

When surveyed again, women given the explicit timeline text were more likely to see themselves as at higher risk than they had realized, and planned to attend a screening. About 24% said their perception of their risk of cervical issues increased, compared with 9% of those in the "cause only" group. Similarly, 25% increased their intention to attend a screening, as compared with 13% in the "cause only" group.

In addition, among women with four to 10 sexual partners or more during their lifetime, perceived risk more than doubled compared to women with one or no lifetime partners, and intention to get screened more than tripled.

"There's a perception that this is a young woman's disease, but the data demonstrate it's not, particularly with later-stage cancers that are harder to treat," said Sue Sherman of Keele University in Staffordshire, UK, who wasn't involved in the study.

"It's important for women to know that even if they're not having sex, it doesn't mean they aren't at risk anymore," Sherman said in a phone interview. "We need to change our messaging around HPV and screening."

Future studies should look at the gap between screening intention and the actions that follow, Sherman noted.

"Women who have not had a new sexual partner for 35 years could still have a silent HPV infection picked up in their 20s, which could become cancer in the future, so screening is worthwhile," said Peter Sasieni of King's College London, who also wasn't involved in the study.

"We are all influenced by seemingly minor changes in the wording of letters we receive," he said by email. "Well-informed women are more inclined to have cervical screening than less well-informed women."

SOURCE: bit.ly/2NoK8r6 Sexually Transmitted Infections, online August 8, 2019.

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