Fully vaccinated women are less likely to develop cervical cancer, according to a University of Queensland (UQ) study. Researchers said that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination reduces the frequency of abnormal Pap smear test results and pre-cancers in women.
"We always knew the vaccine was safe and effective in the narrow, controlled environment of clinical trials. This proves its value on a broad scale," co-author Professor David Whiteman said in a statement. "....."By preventing those cervical changes that are a precursor to cancer, the vaccination program saves lives and minimises future health expenditure."
Researchers from the University and QIMR Berghofer medical research institute compared Pap smear results of young women in Queensland with their vaccination history.
They found that women who had received three doses of the HPV vaccine had a 46 percent lower risk of developing abnormalities that could lead to cervical cancer than those who were not been vaccinated. They said that the vaccine reduces the risk of cervical cancer by half, preventing infection from two types of HPV.
The findings therefore add to the importance of Australia's mass HPV vaccination program, which began in 2007. The HPV vaccine, also referred to as the cervical cancer vaccine, was developed by former Australian of the Year, UQ Professor Ian Frazer, and colleagues.
"And with the program now vaccinating boys as well, Australia is leading the way in preventing HPV infection and the cancers it can cause," Co-author and Medical Director of the National HPV Vaccination Program Register, Dr Julia Brotherton said. "It is still important that women remember to go for Pap tests though, because the vaccine can't prevent all of the types of HPV that can cause problems."
The finding is published in the British Medical Journal.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 12,360 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2014 and approximately 4,020 women will die from the condition. Whiteman urges all the young women to get vaccinated before becoming sexually active and take Pap smear tests for early detection of the cancer.
