Cervical Cancer Vaccine

What is a cervical cancer vaccine?

To many people, the concept sounds strange. A vaccine prevents infection, usually by a virus or bacteria, such as in the case of vaccines for chicken pox, tetanus, the flu, and polio. So how can a vaccine help prevent cancer?

The concept of cancer vaccines are relatively new ones, but more and more research is being done along these lines. In some cases, some cancers are associated with infection by a particular virus, in other cases, parts of the cancer cell may help to activate the body's immune system to fight the cancer itself.

In the case of the vaccine for cervical cancer, there is a group of viruses, called the human papillomaviruses (HPV), which are known to increase the risk for cervical cancer (they are risk factors). In fact, it is thought that nearly all cases of cervical cancer are chiefly related to prolonged HPV infection of the cells of the cervix.

There are many strains of HPV, some of which cause cervical cancer and some of which do not. These viruses are spread by sexual contact. The goal of the cervical cancer vaccines is to prevent these HPV infections in young women in the first place, before they are exposed to the virus, decreasing their chance of contracting the virus and later developing cancer.

In other words, the vaccine helps guard against getting the virus (HPV) which is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. It is therefore not a direct treatment for the cancer itself, it just helps to limit the primary risk factor for this type of cancer.

There are currently two vaccines for HPV and cervical cancer that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, called Gardasil and Cervarix. Either can help prevent most cases of cervical cancer if given early enough, before the girl or woman is exposed to HPV. It is therefore recommended to be given to young girls, generally aged 11 or 12.

In boys, the vaccine can help to prevent genital warts, which are also caused by HPV, and may help prevent their spreading of the virus to later sexual partners.