Human papillomavirus (HPV)

World Cancer Day

February 4, 2020Sparks Health Information 10

Cancer prevention is an essential component of the fight against cancer. Cancer prevention must be considered in the context of activities to prevent other chronic diseases, especially those with which cancer shares common risk factors, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and alcohol dependence.

Common risk factors underlying all these conditions include:

*tobacco use

*alcohol use

*dietary factors including low fruit and vegetable intake

*physical inactivity

*overweight and obesity.

Other important cancer risk factors include exposure to:

*physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet (UV) and ionizing radiation

*chemical carcinogens, such as benzo(a)pyrene, formaldehyde and aflatoxins (food contaminants), and fibres such as asbestos

*biological carcinogens, such as infections by viruses, bacteria and parasites.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

*be physically active

*avoid alcohol use

* eat healthy food (increase intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains; decrease intake of saturated fat diet; limit intake of free sugars; limit salt consumption and ensure that salt is iodized; avoid intake of food and drinks that are very hot in temperature; minimize exposure to aflatoxins or dioxins in food)

*avoid smoking

*avoid exposure to arsenic, radon and asbestos

*limit Ultraviolet (UV) exposure during extensive outdoor activities or use of sun beds (limit exposure to the midday sun; seek shade when necessary; use protective clothing and sunscreen)

* get vaccinated againt Hepatitis B virus (HBV). *Ensure proper screening before vaccination. If already infected, get treated*

*stay away from indoor air pollution from domestic coal fires

*get vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Ensure consistent and correct condom use.*Get regular HPV screening tests (only for women). If already infected, get proper treatment*

CANCER KILLS! FIGHT AGAINST IT!

Reducing the risk of cervical cancer

January 28, 2020Sparks Health Information

The most important thing you can do to help prevent cervical cancer is to have regular screening tests starting at age 21.

Screening Tests

Two screening tests for prevention and early diagnosis of cervical cancer—

The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers, cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately.
The HPV test looks for the virus (human papillomavirus) that can cause these cell changes.

Both tests can be done in a doctor’s office or clinic.

HPV Vaccine

The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most often cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.

HPV vaccination is recommended for preteens aged 11 to 12 years, but can be given starting at age 9.
HPV vaccine also is recommended for everyone through age 26 years, if they are not vaccinated already.
HPV vaccination is not recommended for everyone older than age 26 years. However, some adults age 27 through 45 years who are not already vaccinated may decide to get the HPV vaccine after speaking with their doctor about their risk for new HPV infections and the possible benefits of vaccination. HPV vaccination in this age range provides less benefit, as more people have already been exposed to HPV.

If vaccination is started before age 15, a two-dose schedule is recommended, with the doses given 6 to 12 months apart. For people who start the series after their 15th birthday, the vaccine is given in a series of three shots.

HPV vaccination prevents new HPV infections, but does not treat existing infections or diseases. This is why the HPV vaccine works best when given before any exposure to HPV. You should get screened for cervical cancer regularly, even if you received an HPV vaccine.

More Steps to Help Prevent Cervical Cancer

These things may also help lower your risk for cervical cancer—

Don’t smoke.
Use condoms during sex.*
Limit your number of sexual partners.

*HPV infection can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. While the effect of condoms in preventing HPV infection is unknown, condom use has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer.

Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Cervical cancer

January 10, 2020Sparks Health Information 2

Cancer is a disease in which body cells grow out of control. Cancer is always named for the part of the body where it starts, even if it spreads to other body parts later. When cells grow out of control in the cervix, it is called cervical cancer. The cervix connects the vagina (birth canal) to the upper part of the uterus. The uterus (womb) is where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant.

All women are at risk for cervical cancer. It occurs most often in women over age 30. Long-lasting infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sex. At least half of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives, but few women will get cervical cancer as aresulf of this.

Cervical cancer is highly preventable in most Western countries because screening tests and a vaccine (HPV vaccine) to prevent HPV infections are available. When cervical cancer is found early, it is highly treatable and associated with long survival and good quality of life.

Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Africa lags behind in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (HPV), a remedy for cervical cancer

September 7, 2019Sparks Health Information

In wealthy countries that have vaccination programs, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has significantly reduced the rate of HPV-related infections.

Researchers at the Université Laval in Quebec who looked at 66 million young men and women found that the problems caused by the virus have significantly decreased across a number of wealthy countries.

The meta-analysis of 65 studies found that, depending on age and diagnosis, rates of HPV infection and genital warts had fallen by between 31% and 83%. The prevalence of precancerous lesions caused by HPV has also decreased since the introduction of the vaccine.

Use of the HPV vaccine is now becoming even more widespread in some countries, which will probably mean a significant drop in cervical cancer rates since this type of cancer is nearly always caused by HPV infection. More than 90% of anal cancers, 70% of oral, neck and throat cancers and more than 60% of penile cancers are all caused by HPV.

Cervical cancer can take as long as 20 years to develop, so the vaccine, which was first introduced in 2006, has not been available long enough for researchers to reliably tell whether HPV-related cancer incidence has fallen. However, the significant decline in infection rates is expected to result in similar falls in the associated cancer incidence.

A number of reviews have shown that the HPV vaccine is one of the safest vaccines available. Receiving the jab can be painful, but the only side effects that tend to be reported are soreness and redness at the injection site and sometimes fainting among adolescents.

The most effective way to combat cervical cancer has so far been screening, but this only flags up tissue that could become cancerous, whereas the vaccine stops the infections that cause this abnormal tissue to develop in the first place.

Since it is not currently possible to screen for HPV-related cancers, the vaccine remains the only way to prevent them from developing.

The vaccine is so effective that it even partially protects unvaccinated people on account of it reducing the prevalence of HPV among the wider population of sexually active people.

As reported in The Lancet, the current study found that rates of the two HPV strains that the vaccine protects against had fallen by 83% among teenage girls and by 66% among young women aged between 22 and 24 years, up to eight years after vaccination.

The incidence of anogenital warts also fell by nearly 70% among teenage girls and by 54% among women aged under 25. Among unvaccinated males, the authors also observed a 48% drop in teenagers and a 32% drop in men aged 20 to 24 years.

The fact that the incidence among unvaccinated men is also dropping shows just how effective the vaccination program is. The incidence of grade 2 cervical neoplasia also fell by half among girls aged between 15 and 19 years and by 31% among women aged 20 to 24 years.

The HPV vaccine needs to be made available across Africa

The vaccine is mainly only administered to women, but in countries where young men were also vaccinated, the protective effects were even greater. However, the vaccine is generally only available in high-income countries, with lower income countries not having yet adopted widespread use among men and women.

Study author Marc Brisson says: “Vaccinating girls in these countries would have the greatest impact on the worldwide burden of HPV-related cancers.”

In Africa, many women are dying from cervical cancer, even though doctors know what causes it and how to prevent it. At least 68,000 cases of cervical cancer arise every year and 46,000 women die as a result of the disease.

In a guest column for AllAfrica, director of Policy and Advocacy for Nigeria Health Watch, Ifeanyi Nsofor, writes that too many women on the African continent die from sexually transmitted diseases where we know the cause and how to prevent it: “This is unconscionable and should not continue.”

Nsofor says there are three approaches that could ensure the success of HPV vaccination in wealthy countries is replicated in Africa and that they must involve multiple stakeholders including health ministries, governments, schools and pharmaceutical companies.

Firstly, many people in Africa, particularly those in rural areas, do not have access to healthcare. A combination of poverty, lack of healthcare access and out-of-pocket payments mean women who need the vaccine are not given it.

If HPV vaccination is going to be made available in Africa, universal health coverage is needed so that people can access healthcare without suffering from financial hardship, writes Nsofor.

Secondly, the cost of a single vaccine is $39 in public facilities and $71 in private facilities, which is not affordable for people living in extreme poverty.

National health insurance schemes and Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) in Africa should add HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening services as components of health plans that can be purchased by families. In the long run, it is cheaper to provide these preventative services than to treat cervical cancer.” Ifeanyi Nsofor

Thirdly, the age at which the vaccine is supposed to be given is an age where the majority of eligible girls are supposed to be in high school. Targeting them would require a combined effort from education ministries, school owners and principals, parents and the girls themselves.

‘It is possible to prevent cervical cancer’ through vaccination

Nsofor says school outreach should begin with communicating the risks of cervical cancer to these stakeholders; they should be educated about its prevalence, causes, prevention, treatment, and prognosis: “Supplemental vaccination campaigns conducted in schools with the permission of school authorities and the consent of parents is a quick way of immunizing all who are eligible.”

Nsofor also thinks cervical cancer screening should be part of the overall approach to disease prevention and that since infected boys can develop cancers of the penis, anus, and pharynx, it is essential that they are also vaccinated to ensure that men who have sex with men are also protected.

The United Kingdom has shown that it is possible to prevent cervical cancer by deploying nationwide HPV vaccination. It is inexcusable to allow women (and men) to die from preventable diseases. African governments must show leadership by replicating the UK programme across the continent.”

Source: Sally Robertson, B.Sc.
Review: Kate Anderton, B.Sc. (Editor)
Picture: CNK02 | Shutterstoc

Journal reference:
Drolet, M., et al. (2019). Population-level impact and herd effects following the introduction of human papillomavirus vaccination programmes: updated systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30298-3.

Cancer Prevention Starts in Childhood

September 7, 2019Sparks Health Information 4

* Get your kids vaccinated against Human papillomavirus (HPV)

You can lower your children’s risk of getting cancer later in life by getting them vaccinated against Human papillomavirus (HPV) and helping them make healthy choices.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sex. It can cause cervical and other kinds of cancer. Some cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils) are caused by HPV.

The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cancer. Both boys and girls should be vaccinated when they are 11 or 12 years old. The vaccine can be given to teen girls and young women through 26 years and teen boys and young men through 21 years who weren’t vaccinated when they were younger.

*Talk to Your Kids About Smoking and Cancer

Nearly 9 out of 10 people who smoke cigarettes first try them by age 18, and 98% by age 26. In 2018, more than 1 in 4 high school students and about 1 in 14 middle school students had used a tobacco product in the past 30 days. Talk to your children about why you don’t want them to smoke.

Smoke from other people’s cigarettes (secondhand smoke) can cause serious health problems in children and adults, including lung cancer in adults who have never smoked. Don’t expose your children to secondhand smoke.

*Stay safe in the sun

Daily outdoor activities such as going to school, running, walking the dog, and going to the park could predispose your kid to skin cancer. Just a few serious sunburns can increase your child’s risk of skin cancer later in life.

SOURCE: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention