Lancet: Girls, get the HPV vaccine as soon as possible!

2020.10.15 00:00:00
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 "The Lancet" recently published real research data from the UK on HPV vaccines. It is confirmed that HPV vaccination can reduce cervical cancer by up to 87% and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) by 97%.

As one of the most common cancers among women in the world, cervical cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide, and many people are already familiar with it.
Thanks to screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, the incidence of cervical cancer has slowly and steadily declined.
In 2020, the number of deaths due to cervical cancer worldwide will reach 340,000, and the number of new cervical cancers will reach 600,000. Morbidity and mortality are ranked fourth among female cancers.
Can HPV vaccine really prevent cervical cancer from happening?

On November 4, 2021, Cancer Research UK published a blockbuster data on HPV vaccine in The Lancet. This is the first data from a "real world" study that has studied the relationship between vaccination and cancer rates since the UK began to promote the HPV vaccine in 2008.
These data can be used to answer the questions that everyone cares about.
This observational study examined three age cohorts (12-13 years old, 14-16 years old, and 16-18 years old at the time of vaccination) girls who were vaccinated with bivalent vaccines and women before the start of the HPV vaccination program in the UK (4 cohort groups). ) The incidence data were compared.

Cervarix is ​​a bivalent HPV vaccine developed by GSK. It is approved by the FDA to prevent cervical cancer caused by HPV16 and HPV18 in women aged 10-25. The UK started this HPV vaccination plan in 2008, considering that HPV vaccination before exposure to the HPV virus (such as before the start of sexual activity) may be the most effective, so the HPV bivalent vaccine has been implemented for girls aged 12-13. Routine vaccination.
For this discovery, Cancer Research UK described it as "historic" and said: The vaccine is saving lives.

The data shows that compared with the reference team that has not received HPV vaccine: the incidence of cervical cancer vaccinated at the age of 12-13 is reduced by 87%, and the incidence of cervical precancerous lesions is reduced by 97%; the cervix vaccinated at the age of 14-16 The incidence of cancer was reduced by 62%, and the incidence of cervical precancerous lesions was reduced by 75%; the incidence of cervical cancer vaccinated at the age of 16-18 was reduced by 34%, and the incidence of cervical precancerous lesions was reduced by 39%.
Differences in risk of different cohorts: Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3 are the analysis results based on different confounding factors, respectively
Is the earlier the HPV vaccine effective?

However, compared with the effective rate of prevention, the data also reflects that even in developed countries such as the United Kingdom that can be vaccinated for free, the vaccination rate has not reached the 90% target set by the WHO. Extensive vaccination of HPV vaccine and complete elimination of cervical cancer still face many challenges.

The research team said that after the HPV vaccine free vaccination program was launched in the UK, the incidence of cervical cancer and cervical precancerous lesions in young women has dropped significantly, especially for women who were vaccinated at the age of 12 to 13. The free HPV vaccination program has almost eliminated cervical cancer in women born after September 1, 1995.

The research data clearly shows that the earlier the vaccination is, the more effective the prevention of cervical cancer. The HPV vaccination program significantly reduces the incidence of cervical cancer and cervical precancerous lesions in young women. Therefore, the current recommended age for initial vaccination in most countries is 12-13 years old, and the goal set by the WHO is also to "ensure that 90% of girls complete the HPV vaccination before the age of 15." I hope all women can stay away from the torture of cervical cancer.

Paper link:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02178-4/fulltext

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