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EDITORIAL: Protective Cover: New Vaccine Adds Clout to Fight Against Cervical Cancer

Posted on: Monday, 22 May 2006, 18:02 CDT

By The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

May 22--Anticipation of a breakthrough against cervical cancer has been high since clinical trials indicated last year that a vaccine against strains of the human papilloma virus, HPV, was highly effective. Last week, an advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration confirmed the high hopes.

The panel recommended the vaccine, Gardisil, by Merck, to the FDA for approval as effective and safe, blocking nearly 100 percent of the cervical cancers caused by four strains of HPV. The committee's unanimous vote lends strong endorsement to a critical advance in the fight against a deadly disease.

The vaccine targets two types of HPV that are the most common causes of cervical cancer, and two others responsible for genital warts. Transmitted sexually, HPV infects millions of women, causing lesions and changes in cervical cells that in some cases become cancerous. More than 200,000 women a year die of cervical cancer worldwide, nearly 4,000 of them in the United States.

The vaccine may be available as early as this fall. Experts are careful to caution that Gardisil does not prevent all cervical cancers. Neither should it be regarded as a replacement for cervical screenings, such as pap tests, that encourage early detection and save countless lives.

A vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus does not become part of standard medical treatment without controversy. According to the experts, the vaccine would be most effective when administered to girls before they become sexually active, possibly in the years before puberty between the ages of 9 and 13. The HPV vaccine has raised concerns that the vaccine would give young women a false sense of security, encouraging early sexual activity. The issue is raised whether vaccination should be mandatory.

Providing effective protection for girls against a dangerous sexually transmitted virus does not mean they will become promiscuous. The guidelines for use, yet to be decided, should make vaccination part of the standard immunization schedule. For its part, the FDA should move swiftly to approve the vaccine, avoiding a repeat of the controversy over the contraceptive pill Plan B.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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