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Most human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are transient, however, some can lead to pre-cancerous lesions and hence, ultimately lead to cancer. Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in women. In India, around 6-29% of all cancer deaths in women are attributed to cervical cancer [1]. It is estimated that cervical cancer will occur in approximately 1 in 53 Indian women during their lifetime. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI). So to lower your risk of cervical cancer, HPV vaccination is recommended for girls in the age group of 9-12 years. But not many women are aware that the vaccination doesn't offer 100% protection against cervical cancer. Here are few things you need to know about HPV and cervical cancer. Also, find out whether cervical cancer vaccination really necessary?
1. Oncogenic HPVs cause almost 100% of cervical cancers, 90% of anal, 70% of vaginal, 40% of vulvar, 50% of penile and 13% to 72% of oropharyngeal cancers, and HPV16 predominates in all of these non-cervical HPV-related cancers [2]. Here's everything you need to know about Human Papilloma Virus
2. If you are unvaccinated but have a healthy immune function, it might take around 15 - 20 years for the virus to become active. However, if you suffer from HIV infection or have weakened immunity, the cancer can develop within a span of 5-10 years. If you are vaccinated for HPV, the risk of HPV-related cancer can be lowered, says Dr Lata Kini, Lead Clinical Pathologist, CORE Diagnostics.
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3. Currently, two vaccines are available to protect against two types of HPV namely HPV 16 and 18, which are known to cause around 70% of cervical cancers. However, according to studies, with greater coverage provided by the nonavalent vaccine (vaccine against nine common types of HPV), around 90% to 93% of all cervical cancers would be prevented.
4. Getting HPV vaccination does not undo the need for cervical cancer screening as it can help you to know the cancer at an early stage. The currently available HPV vaccination prevents you from only two major strains of the virus. Here are few things you must know about cervical cancer screening.
5. If you have abnormal Pap smear test results, your doctor will suggest other tests to make a diagnosis. It is mostly followed up by the HPV test. Hence, women can undergo a Pap smear and HPV test for screening of cancerous cells or any abnormalities and DNA test to diagnose HPV, if the results are positive.
References:
1. Bobdey S, Sathwara J, Jain A, Balasubramaniam G. Burden of cervical cancer and role of screening in India. Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol. 2016 Oct-Dec;37(4):278-285. doi: 10.4103/0971-5851.195751. PubMed PMID: 28144096; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5234166.
2. Lee LY, Garland SM. Human papillomavirus vaccination: the population impact. F1000Res. 2017 Jun 12;6:866. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.10691.1. eCollection 2017. Review. PubMed PMID: 28663791; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5473416.
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