How to find out if you have Cervical Cancer
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The “historic moment” for women around the globe comes 13 years after the UK’s rollout of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for teenage girls. The majority of cervical cancers are believed to be caused by viruses and the new research, which was funded by Cancer Research UK, will help save thousands of lives. According to the long-term study, the HPV vaccine was shown to reduce the rates of cervical cancer by almost 90 percent in women in their 20s, after they were offered the jab between the age of 12 and 13.
The study’s results were published in the journal The Lancet and were hailed as the first of their kind to produce real-world data.
According to the researchers, a combination of the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer screening has the potential to dramatically reduce cervical cancer rates to the point where it almost eliminated.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “It’s a historic moment to see the first study showing that the HPV vaccine has and will continue to protect thousands of women from developing cervical cancer.
“Cancer Research UK has been funding research in this area for many years and we’ve been eagerly awaiting these results since the introduction of the vaccination programme.”
Around 850 women die from cervical cancer each year in the UK, so we have the chance to save many lives.”
The study was based at King’s College London and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as well as the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) run by NHS Digital.
The researchers estimate the HPV vaccine rollout has so far prevented some 450 cases of cervical cancer and some 17,200 cases of “precancerous conditions” over an 11-year period.
In their study, they wrote: “We estimated that by June 30, 2019, there had been 448 (339 to 556) fewer than expected cervical cancers and 17,235 (15,919 to 18,552) fewer than expected cases of CIN3 in vaccinated cohorts in England.”
Cancer Research UK scientists were the first to discover the link between cervical cancer and viruses more than 20 years ago.
Cervical cancer can be found anywhere in the cervix, which is the opening between the womb and vagina.
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The resulting tumours usually grow slowly and symptoms can include vaginal bleeding, pain during sex, pain between the hip bones, or pain in the lower back and lower tummy.
According to the NHS, these symptoms are very common and can be caused by a variety of conditions but it is vital to get them checked by a GP regardless.
Early screening and discovery mean treatments are far more likely to be successful.
Professor Peter Sasieni, lead author from King’s College London, said: “It’s been incredible to see the impact of HPV vaccination, and now we can prove it prevented hundreds of women from developing cancer in England.
“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.
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“Assuming most people continue to get the HPV vaccine and go for screening, cervical cancer will become a rare disease.
“This year we have already seen the power of vaccines in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These data show that vaccination works in preventing some cancers.”
The HPV vaccine protects against the main strains of the virus: HPV 16 and 18.
Having immunity to the viruses can help protect from any abnormal changes in cervical cells, which can reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Previous studies of the vaccine have found it is successful at preventing HPV infection, genital warts, and precancerous cell changes in the cervix.
However, the vaccine has only been introduced to the UK in 2008, so researchers have had limited time to study its impact on cervical cancers.
Thankfully, the latest data looks “extremely promising”, according to Cancer Research UK.
A previous study carried out in Sweden found a 63 percent reduction in cervical cancer incidence after the HPV vaccine.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist for UKHSA, said: “These remarkable findings confirm that the HPV vaccine saves lives by dramatically reducing cervical cancer rates among women.
“This reminds us that vaccines are one of the most important tools we have to help us live longer, healthier lives.”
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