A British initiative to vaccinate teenage girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV) slashed cervical cancer rates by 87 percent when the vaccine was administered at age 12 and 13, 62 percent when offered at age 14 to 16, and 34 percent among women vaccinated at 16 to 18, researchers reported Thursday in the medical journal The Lancet. Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, called the results "historic" and said it proves the HPV vaccine saves lives.
Britain's National Health Service began offering the HPV vaccine to girls as young as 11 in 2008, and the new study compares cervical cancer outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated women now that the first cohort is in their 20s. Most cervical cancer is caused by one of two HPVs blocked by the vaccine, and immunization is much more effective if administered before teens become sexually active.
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"We've known for many years that HPV vaccination is very effective in preventing particular strains of the virus, but to see the real-life impact of the vaccine has been truly rewarding," said lead author Peter Sasieni, of King's College London. "Assuming most people continue to get the HPV vaccine and go for screening, cervical cancer will become a rare disease."
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