Cervical Cancer Vaccine Backed by FDA

The shot would prevent people from getting cervical cancer according to a recent article.

Government advisors strongly backed U.S. approval of the first vaccine of this kind saying it appeared highly effective in preventing the infection that causes it, the article stated.

“Health groups called the vaccine a potential boon for preventing cervical cancer which is expected to be diagnosed in 9,710 U.S. women this year and kill roughly 3, 700,” the article said. “But experts warned that the vaccine only offers protection for women who have not already been infected.”

The panel voted unanimously that the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing precancerous lesions in women between 16 and 26 years of age, according to stats.

Gardasil is given in a series of three injections over six months, literature states.

FDA scientists said in the article that their analysis showed that vaccination of unscreened women in doctors’ offices would likely cut the rate of precancerous lesions by 40 percent, since many are likely to already carry infections with one or more Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) types.

Writer Todd Zwillich said that while praising its potential, several experts expressed concern that overconfidence in the vaccine could undo years of progress in promoting cervical cancer screening in women using Pap tests.

After having her third child in 1974 Helen McKoy of Fort Worth, TX began experiencing severe pains in the lower part of her body. She was 17 at the time and didn’t know what was going on. Her mother finally took her to the hospital to see what was wrong, she said. Now McKoy is one of the ambassadors who will represent the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Celebration on the Hill grassroots event celebrating cancer survivorship and empowering survivors and others to advocate for laws that will help fight cancer.

“I was in the early stages of cervical cancer and the only recourse was for me to have a full hysterectomy,” said McKoy. “The surgery was done the following week and all the cancer was removed along with all my female reproductive organs. For an unmarried 17-year-old this was horrible. At that time there was not sufficient research done to prevent the hysterectomy.”

McKoy said she went through many years of inner pain as she felt she was not a whole woman any more and that she even considered suicide.

“I felt I would never get married as I had heard all of the ‘horror’ stories about women that had full hysterectomies,” she said. “About ten years later I met a lady at church that had the same surgery when she was very young due to cervical cancer. She helped me see that I was still a whole person.”

McKoy said with that woman’s help she was able to turn a negative into a positive. McKoy started telling her story and letting other women know how important it was to take care of themselves.

“For years I wondered where I went wrong and why this had to happen to me. Now I know the reason is so I can be a role model and help someone that is going through what I went through,” said McKoy.

The Society’s 2006 Federal Legislate Agenda is to urge Congress to boost federal funding for lifesaving cancer research and programs among other concerns.

Cervical cancer can usually be found early by having regular Pap tests. As Pap testing has become more common, preinvasive lesions (precancers) of the cervix are found far more frequently than invasive cancer. Being alert to any signs and symptoms of cervical cancer can also help avoid unnecessary delays in diagnosis. Early detection greatly improves the chances of successful treatment. Cervical cancer deaths are higher in populations around the world where women do not have routine Pap tests. In fact, cervical cancer is the major cause of cancer deaths in women in many developing countries. These cases are usually diagnosed at an invasive late stage, rather than as precancers or early cancers.

Despite the benefits of Pap test screening, not all American women take advantage of it. Between 60% and 80% of American women with newly diagnosed invasive cervical cancer have not had a Pap test in the past five years and many of these women have never had a Pap
test. In particular, elderly, African-American, and/or low-income women are less likely to have regular Pap tests.

Breast cancer and cervical cancer testing is now more available to medically underserved women through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). This program offers breast and cervical cancer early detection testing to women without health insurance for free or at very little cost.

The NBCCEDP tries to reach as many women in medically underserved communities as possible, including older women, women without health insurance, and women of racial and ethnic minority groups. Although each state runs its own program, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) give matching funds and support to each state program. Offered mainly through nonprofit organizations and local health clinics, this program is aimed at providing testing for breast and cervical cancer in medically underserved women. Each state’s> Department of Health will have information on how to contact the nearest program participant.

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