New Vaccine Could Prevent 80% Of Cervical Cancers

(RTTNews) - The newest human papillomavirus vaccine can potentially prevent 80% of cervical cancers in the United States if given to all 11- or 12-year-old children before they are exposed to the virus, according a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and conducted by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Cedars-Sinai.

The seven-center study found that the 9-Valent HPV vaccine, under the trademark of Gardasil-9, has also the potential to protect against about 19,000 other cancers diagnosed in the U.S., including anal, oropharyngeal and penile cancers.

This is an 11.1 percent point increase in protection against HPV-related cancers in comparison to the first vaccines on the market, Gardasil and Cervarix.

The vaccine also has the potential to protect against an additional 5.7 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, which include the base of the tongue and tonsils. This disease is the second-most-common HPV-associated cancer.

The 9-Valent vaccine was also found to potentially increase protection from other HPV-related cancers including those of the vulva, from 48.6 to 62.8 percent; vagina, from 55.1 percent to 73.3 percent; the penis, 47.9 percent to 56.9 percent; and the anus, 79.4 percent to 87.6 percent.

Researchers examined 2,670 HPV DNA tissue samples from seven population-based cancer registries to compile the study data.

"This is the first comprehensive study of its kind and shows the potential to not only reduce the global cancer burden, but guide clinical decision-making with regard to childhood vaccinations," said Marc Goodman, senior author of the study and director of Cancer Prevention and Genetics at the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December approved Merck & Co., Inc.'s (MRK) Gardasil 9 vaccine for the prevention of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal cancers, and for the prevention of genital warts caused by nine types of human papillomavirus. It is indicated for use in females 9-26 years old and males 9-15 years old.