Cervical Cancer Vaccine Seen As Safe

[essnce629]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...w083220D27.DTL

I'm not liking these quotes though:

"A vaccine that blocks infection by the four virus types that cause most cervical cancers and genital warts appears safe and effective, but may actually increase the chance of disease in some patients, according to Food and Drug Administration documents released Wednesday."

"the vaccine may lead to an increased number of cases of a cancer precursor among patients already infected by any of the four virus types at the time they receive the vaccine, and whose immune systems have not cleared the virus from their bodies."

"The second concern is that any advantage the vaccine provides in protecting against the four virus types could be offset by infection by any of the multiple other types of HPV that the vaccine does not cover"

"FDA staff also asked that the committee examine five cases where children with birth defects were born to women who had received the vaccine around the time of conception."

I think I'll be skipping it for now :)


***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula
http://www.socaldoula.com

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...pphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[trumansmom]

Aren't there over 80 different types of HPV?! I know not all of them cause cervical cancer, but that doesn't seem like it offers a heck of a lot of hope.

I've had cervical cancer. Although it was caught in the early stages, it was terrifying. I had such hope for this vaccine for future generations. But I guess it's a start.
<shrug>

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04

[kijip]

>http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...w083220D27.DTL
>
>I'm not liking these quotes though:
>
>"A vaccine that blocks infection by the four virus types that
>cause most cervical cancers and genital warts appears safe and
>effective, but may actually increase the chance of disease in
>some patients, according to Food and Drug Administration
>documents released Wednesday."

As I understand it it protects from the main kids of HPV that lead to cervical cancer and that some types of HPV do not.


>"the vaccine may lead to an increased number of cases of a
>cancer precursor among patients already infected by any of the
>four virus types at the time they receive the vaccine, and
>whose immune systems have not cleared the virus from their
>bodies."
>
That is why any daughter of mine would get it before she was sexually active and just to be VERY sure, I would have it done WELL before it would be a possibility. I beleive I have heard it would be reccommended for pre-teen girls.

>"FDA staff also asked that the committee examine five cases
>where children with birth defects were born to women who had
>received the vaccine around the time of conception."

This was huge, full trial investigation. 5 women delivering babies in a huge trial of 18-24 yo women with birth deffects does not indicate a correlation. Something to look at but not a reason to toss out the vaccine.
>
>I think I'll be skipping it for now :)

I am just thrilled that I will hopefully have this available by the time I might have a young daughter. Cervical cancer was a tragic way to lose my great grandmother and it cost my mother a great deal as well.

I participated in a 3 year phase of this trial. So who knows I may already have the vaccine.

[jenjenfirenjen]

Katie, thanks for responding to those points so cogently. I think you're exactly right. As a former American Cancer Society staffer, DW of someone who actually worked on the development of this vaccine, and someone who has HPV and has had a cervical cancer scare, I couldn't be more thrilled about this vaccine. No vaccine is perfect but I believe this one has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives. I wish we could try not to bash it before the FDA has even made their ruling.

[kijip]

http://health.msn.com/centers/cancer...36070&GT1=8199

I am very happy that this is coming to fruit. There was some contraversy surrounding giving this vaccine to pre-teen girls. It needs to be given to women PRIOR to sexual activity since the vaccine in women already having the virus can compound the risks. Additionally it may also be given to boys in the future because males do carry and transmit HPV, increasing their female partner's chances of contracting one of the strains that is biggest cause of cervical cancer.

How exciting that your partner worked on the vaccine.

Interesting notes from the article:

"Cervical cancer is the second most common malignant disease in women globally, causing an estimated 290,000 deaths worldwide each year. In the United States, some 10,400 new cases will be diagnosed this year, and 3,700 women will die from the disease."

"In a two-year study involving more than 12,000 women, the vaccine was found to be 100 percent effective against four types of human papilloma virus: 16 and 18, which are responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, and 6 and 11, which cause 90 percent of genital wart cases."

[maestramommy]

In general we are pro-vaccine and so far DD has been getting her shots on schedule. However, DH is suspicious of anything that is "too new" (like lasik, parsol 1789, even the Hepatitis vaccine), so I'm not sure what we'll do if this vaccine is ready and covered by insurance by the time DD is of age. However, I agree that it is quite exciting, since this is the first vaccine against any kind of cancer.

[trumansmom]

Okay, this discussion has helped a LOT. I'm so glad I can be excited about the vaccine again. I will definitely encourage Eleanor to get it when she comes of age. I don't want her to spend her childbearing years like I did - debating whether or not to go ahead and have the hysterectomy and guarantee the cancer will not come back, or gambling on keeping her uterus in hopes of being able to maintain a pregnancy. ANYTHING that will take that one off her list of worries is good for me. :)

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04