OT: FDA approves cervical cancer/HPV vaccine! Finally!

[Dianyla]

Are you all as happy about this as I am? :D

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/06/08/cervical.vaccine/index.html

[Nanci]

I am...Did you know babies can get HPV during birth, if their mothers are infected, and then it lives in their larynx, and can later cause cancer??? Just found that out a few weeks ago- pt at work had that happen and is on a ventilator for her entire life...

Nanci

[Grog]

It's great news indeed.

I look forward to the mainstream-ization of the replacement test for the PAP test too (much more precise and less false-negatives).

And by the way HPV is thought to be linked to many cancers and also, if I remember correctly, to coronary disease. Not sure they're all the same time and that the vaccine will target them all though. But it's still a great source of hope !

[Mags...]

The vaccine was developed by an Australian (whose since been awarded the Australian of the Year award), so we've heard a bit about it here. The vaccine is for HPV, so it's not really a vaccine for 'cancer', but apparently most cervical cancers originate in women who have had HPV earlier in their lives. In Australia they are suggesting it's useless to give older women the drug as a significant proportion of older sexually active women have already been in contact with or had HPV without even knowing it. It's going to be most useful for future generations of women, those who have been practising safe sex (using condoms) and will generally be given to young females before becoming sexually active.

It is in no way to be used as an alternative to regular PAP smear tests.

Mags...