Cervical cancer vaccine

Key facts • Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, with an estimated 604 000 new cases and 342 000 deaths in 2020. About 90% of the new cases and deaths worldwide in 2020 occurred in low- and middle-income countries (1). • Two human papillomavirus (HPV) types (16 and 18) are responsible for nearly 50% of high grade cervical pre-cancers • HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact and most people are infected with HPV shortly after the onset of sexual activity. More than 90% of them clear the infection eventually. • Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV. • Vaccination against HPV and screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions is a cost-effective way to prevent cervical cancer. • Cervical cancer can be cured if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly. • Comprehensive cervical cancer control includes primary prevention (vaccination against HPV), secondary prevention (screening and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions), tertiary prevention (diagnosis and treatment of invasive cervical cancer) and palliative care. Overview Worldwide, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women with an estimated 604 000 new cases in 2020. Of the estimated 342 000 deaths from cervical cancer in 2020, about 90% of these occur in low- and middle-income countries. Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV, and an...

The decision of whether or not to receive the cervical cancer vaccine is a personal one that should be made with careful consideration. The cervical cancer vaccine, or the HPV vaccine, protects against the human papilloma virus (HPV), a distinct group of viruses that is spread through sexual contact. HPV is a main cause of cervical cancer and can also contribute to the development of vulvar, vaginal, anal and oropharyngeal cancers. What is the right age for the cervical cancer vaccine? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that children ages 11 or 12 receive two cervical cancer vaccine shots 6 to 12 months apart. However, the vaccine can be administered as early as age 9 and as late as age 45. Individuals who receive their first dose at 15 or older should receive three doses of the vaccine over the course of 6 months. How long does the cervical cancer vaccine last? As there are different vaccines available, durations times can vary. But generally speaking, the HPV vaccine can provide protection for up to 10 years. While your risk of cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers will be reduced if you receive the vaccine, it is still important to visit your gynecologist for routine gynecological exams and preventive care as appropriate. What are the potential side effects of the cervical cancer vaccine? The cervical cancer vaccine may cause some mild side effects, including soreness and redness at the injection site, fatigue, dizziness, headaches,...

Read more Transgene, a company based in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, says results from a The findings are "a solid basis" for testing the vaccine on more patients, the company told the annual meeting of the The vaccine, named TG4050 for now, is intended for people who have already been treated for cancer and are at risk of relapse. Tailor-made vaccine "It’s a personalised vaccine – that means it’s designed to address the specific mutations of each patient," The company genetically sequences tumorous tissue removed from the patient, then uses artificial intelligence to identify the 30 mutations most likely to occur, out of thousands possible. This information is then used to create a vaccine adapted to the patient's own cancer. It sends signals to their immune system to encourage a certain type of white blood cell, known as "Each tumour is a different illness," Riva said. Clinical trials The vaccine is currently being tested in a trial involving 32 patients with cancers of the head and neck. Half of them received the vaccine and the other half did not. Of the 16 patients vaccinated, all remained disease-free after a median follow-up time of around ten months, Transgene said, compared to two in the control group who saw their cancer recur. "Over five years, there’s a 20 to 30 percent chance of recurrence. If we can avoid this risk, it’s clear we’re talking about a significant impact on patients," Riva told RFI. It is still too early to say whether the vaccine is tr...

A new vaccine promises to save lives, but won't replace the Pap test. Cervical cancer once killed many American women — mothers, daughters, and wives. But over the past 30 years, the number of cervical cancer deaths in the United States has dropped by half. Today, fewer than 4,000 American women die each year from the disease. The main reason for the decrease is the Papanicolou test, or "Pap smear," which is perhaps the most effective cancer-screening test we have. During a pelvic examination, the doctor uses a small brush to gently swipe the surface of the cervix, the necklike part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. The sample is then smeared — thus the nickname — onto a slide so it can be examined under a microscope to check for abnormal cervical cells that are cancerous or might become so. Under current guidelines, women should start getting regular Pap tests within three years after first having sexual intercourse, or at age 21, whichever comes first. Before their 30th birthdays, they're supposed to have the test every year — thereafter, just every two to three years, as long as they've had three normal tests in a row. But now cervical cancer prevention is entering a new era. The FDA has approved a vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that's believed to cause almost all cases of cervical cancer. It's a remarkable achievement: The viral origins of a serious cancer have been identified, and researchers have successfully harnessed the immune s...