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Healthy You Archives Healthy You Archives |
Just for Women
Q: I’ve heard news reports about a 'breakthrough' cervical cancer vaccine. Will this vaccine really eradicate cervical cancer?About Our Experts
Richard M. Boulay, M.D. Practicing Medicine Since 1994 Education B.S. in Biochemistry with Chemistry minor, magna cum laude, 1985, University of Massachusetts at Amherst M.D. cum laude, 1990, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology Magee-Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University Board Certification Board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology Awards and Honors Resident Teaching Award, Council of Residency Education of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (CREOG), 1998, 2001 Berlex Foundation Faculty Development Seminar, 1999 Felix Rutledge Fellowship Award in Gynecologic Oncology, 1992 Hewlett Packard Academic Excellence Award, 1990 Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, 1990
Kristin S. Friel, M.D. Practicing Medicine Since 1999 Education A.B. in Biology magna cum laude, 1990, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Board Certification Board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology Honors and Awards Undergraduate: Phi Beta Kappa Lingos Prize in the Life Sciences for Outstanding Research and Academy Excellence Departmental Honors in Biology
Sarah L. Stevens, M.D. Practicing Medicine Since 1993 Education B.A. in Biology, 1983, Wells College, Aurora, NY M.D., 1987, State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn College of Medicine Master of Public Health, 1998, University of Massachusetts Residency in Internal Medicine University of Massachusetts Medical Center Fellowship in Adolescent Medicine University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Dept. of Pediatrics Board Certification Board certified in Internal Medicine and Adolescent Medicine
Q: I’ve heard news reports about a 'breakthrough' cervical cancer vaccine. Will this vaccine really eradicate cervical cancer?A: The Food and Drug Administration in June 2006 approved Gardasil, a vaccine manufactured by Merck and designed to prevent the viral infection that leads to cervical cancer. The human papilloma virus (HPV), spread predominantly through sexual contact, causes most cervical cancers. The new vaccine will immunize young women against four of the more than 100 types of HPV. Two of these (known as HPV 16 and 18) are thought to cause 70 percent of all cervical cancers. Two others (HPV 6 and 11) cause 90 percent of genital warts cases. When Merck tested this vaccine on adolescent girls, it was 100 percent effective at preventing these specific types of HPV. The American Cancer Society estimates that 9,710 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2006, and 3,700 women will die from it. We hope that this vaccine greatly reduces the incidence of cervical cancer, but it probably will not eradicate the disease. Because the vaccine does not immunize women against all types of HPV, women who get the vaccine can still develop cervical cancer, but their risk of doing so will be greatly reduced. Q: Who should get this vaccine?A: The Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended this vaccine for 11 to 12 year old girls. The vaccine would probably be administered during their regular pre-adolescent physical. Girls at this age most benefit from the vaccine because they usually have not been exposed to HPV through sexual contact. Health care professionals may also offer the vaccine to girls and as young as age 9 and young women as old as age 26. Q: How much does the vaccine cost? Will my insurance cover it?A: The vaccine will be administered in a series of three shots over six months. Merck is charging $120 per dose, which totals $360 for the total treatment. Actual costs at physician’s offices may vary. Most large group insurance plans will probably cover the vaccine, but coverage will vary from insurer to insurer. Federal health programs such as Vaccines for Children (VFC) will cover this vaccine for the uninsured. Q: Does the vaccine have side effects?A: This is an extremely safe vaccine. Common side effects include pain, swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site along with a fever. As with any vaccine, there is a rare chance of an allergic reaction, including hives or trouble with breathing. Q: Should I make an appointment with my daughter’s pediatrician for this vaccination?A: At the moment, area physicians do not have the vaccine in stock, so it’s too early to make an appointment for a vaccination. We expect that local pediatricians and gynecologists may begin offering vaccinations by early fall. Q: My daughter is already sexually active. Could she still benefit from this vaccine?A: She may benefit, depending on what types of HPV she has been exposed to. If she has not been exposed to HPV 6, 11, 16, or 18, the vaccine could still reduce her risk of developing cervical cancer and genital warts. Q: How does HPV cause cervical cancer?A: When a woman comes in contact with certain types of HPV, the virus infiltrates cells in the skin that line the cervix. The immune system easily clears away most types of HPV. Sometimes the immune system can’t effectively fight the virus, and the virus proliferates into an infection that does not go away without treatment. If allowed to persist, the infection can interrupt the cell’s normal growth cycle, causing cells to grow too quickly. If left untreated, these cells may turn into cancer. HPV can also affect the rectum and vagina, leading to cancers in those locations. However, HPV can lie dormant for many years, even decades. In some women, it may never lead to cancer. In others, it will. Smoking increases the likelihood that cells infected with HPV will become cancerous. Q: Will the vaccine eventually eliminate the need for my annual pap smear?A: Unfortunately, no. In the best case scenario, the vaccine will only prevent about 70 percent of all cancer cases—and that’s only in women who have not already been exposed to HPV through sexual contact. Because not all cervical cancers are caused by HPV and because the vaccine will only work against certain types of HPV, all sexually active women need regular pap smears. More than a third of the 9,710 women in the United States diagnosed with cervical cancer each year will die from the disease, often because their cancer was diagnosed too late, after spreading beyond the cervix. A yearly pap smear enables your doctor to diagnose and treat lesions on your cervix before they become cancerous. There are small procedures that can be done to then prevent cervical cancer. Pap smears also diagnose and treat cervical cancer. Q: What if your test is normal?A: It doesn’t mean that you have not been exposed to HPV. If your immune system is effectively fighting the virus, the cells that line your cervix may be normal, resulting in a normal pap result. Keep getting your annual pap smear to make sure those cells stay healthy. For more information on this topic, go to:
This page last updated 11/6/08 10:08 AM
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 November December 2008 Eating Healthy
Staying Fit
Caring for Mind and Body
Just for Women
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Raising a Family
Heart of Healthy You
Protecting Your Health
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Keeping Up to Date
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