HPV Vaccine Is Weapon Against Cervical Ca

About a million women per year have an abnormal Pap smear. What follows is a series of costly and anxiety-provoking steps, including colposcopy, cervical scraping, and if abnormal cells are found, cervical biopsy and possible hysterectomy, all at a cost of approximately $2.8 billion. Widespread vaccination against HPV could substantially reduce this burden.

Although the HPV vaccines will not be the first to prevent cancer—the hepatitis B vaccine reduces the likelihood of developing hepatocellular carcinoma—they are the first to be specifically developed and marketed for cancer prevention. As an infectious disease specialist, I see this concept as novel and very, very exciting.