Can a Vaccine Really Prevent Cervical Cancer?

There are many different types of cancers and for women, cervical cancer can be a real concern. Anything that can be used to help prevent this is most welcome. Often what happens though, is something may be discovered as being beneficial in helping to prevent cancer but it takes many years to confirm it. Data has to be collected over a period of time to determine its effectiveness.

Gardasil 9

Gardasil 9 is the HPV vaccine that was created to be administered to a youngster and young adults to help protect them in future against specific cancers that are related to the HPV virus which there are nine different types of. HPV stands for Human Papillomavirus. The vaccine can be administered to girls between the ages of nine to twenty-six to help prevent cervical cancer as well as vulvar, anal and vaginal cancers, plus genital warts. It can also be used protect males between the same ages against cancer of the anus and genital warts.

Long Term Results

When this vaccine first came out there was great excitement about it and it was definitely a major break through regarding the various forms of cancer that it can help to prevent. While the immediate results were recognized there was major importance put on what the long term benefits would be. New information has now been released that is truly good news indeed.

This vaccine was originally approved in 2014. Now in 2017 a new study shows definitively what was shown in the phase 3 efficacy and safety trial for this vaccine. This new study included 14,215 women and spanned across 18 countries. Gardasil 9 is able to stand against all 9 forms of HPV whereas the original release of Gardasil was only effective against four of the forms.

Parental Education is a Must

Parents have to be fully educated about the benefits of Gardasil 9 as it can be administered to children who still need the consent of their parents to receive this form of treatment. Once more parents become educated into the different forms of HPV and the seriousness of this then they will be willing to accept the Gardasil nine as a safeguard against these diseases. They also have to be aware that this vaccine is not just for girls and women, but is an important treatment for boys and men. While girls face the very real threat of cervical cancer.

The statistics for cancer change every year. For 2017 the stats show that about 12,820 new cases have been reported for the invasive form of cervical cancer. It is estimated that approx. 4,210 women will die from this disease.  The data that shows some promise is that pre-cancer of the cervix is diagnosed much more often than the invasive cervical cancer which creates a much greater chance of treating it quicker.

Proper screening for cervical cancer in women is one of the best steps to take for early diagnosis, just as proper prostate cancer screening is so important for men.