Scientists have previously found evidence that the hormone estrogen is elevated in cervical cancer. On June 8th, 2015 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a study was released that found estrogen receptors seem to disappear in cervical cancer tumors, countering previous research findings. Researchers used gene expression profiling on 128 samples from 4,000 women who are participating in the Study to Understand Cervical Cancer Early Endpoints and Determinants. Lead researcher Johan den Boon stated the goal of ...
Girls who received the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) vaccine didn’t have higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) compared with non-vaccinated girls, suggesting the vaccine doesn’t lead to riskier sexual behavior—according to a study by Harvard University and University of Southern California researchers published in JAMA on Monday.
Researchers compared 21,000 vaccinated girls and more than 186,000 non-vaccinated girls in the US between 12-18 years of age for STDs, and found nothing to suggest an increase in sexual activity among the girls ...
Title: Utilizing Media to Reduce the Burden of Cervical Cancer in Little Haiti: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach
Authors: Brigette Frett, Myra Aquino, Marie Fatil, Julia Seay, Dinah Trevil, Michèle Jessica Fièvre, Valentine Cesar, Erin Kobetz
These two educational short films discuss cervical cancer prevention through HPV vaccination and Pap testing for a Haitian audience. These films were written and produced by a Haitian writer and star Kreyol-speaking actors, incorporating medical and public health information shared by partners at the University of ...
APRIL 2014 – The World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization recommends a 2-dose HPV vaccination schedule for girls that initiate vaccination prior to 15 years of age. The recommended minimal interval between the 2 doses is 6 months, but it may be extended to 12 months.
A 3-dose schedule (i.e. at 0, 1-2, and 6 months) continues to be recommended if immunization is initiated after the girl’s 15th birthday or if the individual is immunocompromised, including those ...
A recently released study on the effectiveness of HPV-based versus cytology-based screening for cervical cancer showed that HPV-based screening provides 60–70% greater protection against invasive cervical carcinomas compared with cytology. The study included several years of follow-up of women in four randomized trials to investigate these outcomes. As the study authors write, “Data of large-scale randomized trials support initiation of HPV-based screening from age 30 years and extension of screening intervals to at least 5 years.
Read the study abstract here:
On April 24 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first FDA-approved HPV DNA test for women 25 and older that can be used alone to help a health care professional assess the need for a woman to undergo additional diagnostic testing for cervical cancer. The test also can provide information about the patient’s risk for developing cervical cancer in the future. This approval “offers women and physicians a new option for cervical cancer screening,” said Alberto Gutierrez, Ph.D., ...
A study published in Genome Research and reviewed in The Scientist explains that researchers at the Ohio State University have determined a new way that HPV might lead to cervical cancer development. Using the supercomputing power available at Ohio State, researchers did extensive genome sequencing, which allowed them to see “in vivid detail that HPV can damage host-cell genes and chromosomes at sites of viral insertion,” said co-senior author David Symer, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular virology, immunology and ...
Data published in Clinical Infectious Diseases show that that the quadrivalent HPV vaccine is safe and immunogenic in women aged 13 to 45 with HIV. As Erna Milunka Kojic, MD, associate professor of medicine at Brown University, told Infectious Disease News, “HIV-infected women carry a disproportionate burden of HPV-associated diseases,” so this new information will benefit an important at-risk group.
Read more about the newly released research on the use of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine in women with HIV:
A $3.6 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will allow the George W. Bush Institute, the CDC and the World Health Organization to work with the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon® initiative to improve the monitoring and evaluation of cervical cancer screening and treatment programs.
The primary activities of this two-year grant include:
The conduct of rapid baseline situational assessments with reports and strategic consultations with countries to process the results and develop recommendations for improved monitoring and evaluation; and The ...
Seventeen patient advocacy groups, including Consumers Union, the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health have submitted a letter to the FDA expressing concern over a new HPV DNA test. The test, which would be recommended for women age 25 and older, is currently under FDA review. Opponents of the test cite its expense (much more than a Pap test) and the potential for confusion over screening recommendations, which may lead to over or under ...