Cervical Cancer Preventable with Vaccination
A vaccine to prevent cervical cancer may be available as early as next year. “We’re breaking out the champagne,” said Eliav Barr, head of clinical development at Merck for the Gardasil vaccine.
A trial involving more than 12,000 young women from 13 countries found that Gardasil dramatically reduced the risk of developing cervical cancer.
Researchers reported their 100 per cent success rate at a United States conference.
“These are stunning results,” said cervical cancer specialist Professor Margaret Stanley, of Cambridge University. “For a vaccine to show 100 per cent efficiency, even over a short time like two years, is a really good result.”
Cervical Cancer is the biggest cancer killer in women aged 15 to 44 after breast cancer.
The vaccine is designed to prevent infection with the two most common types of human papillomavirus that are associated with 70 per cent of cervical cancers. It must be taken before women become sexually active. This may create some controversy.
Cervical cancer survivor Rachael Ennor said news of a vaccine was wonderful.
“I’m just totally thrilled that such a thing is possible. It’s quite a breakthrough, because prevention is so much better than cure.”
BTW: GlaxoSmithKline, is working on another cervical cancer vaccine, Cervarix, which also had promising results in trials.
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