 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In June of this year, the first ever vaccine for cervical cancer was approved by the FDA. The vaccine blocks the infection related to the human papillomavirus that is responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers. Researchers want you to know, though, that this doesn't mean the Pap test is going away.
The vaccine is currently approved for treatment in girls and women between ages 9 and 26. To be effective, the vaccine has to be given before the woman is exposed to the virus. For that reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all 11- and 12-year-old girls get the vaccine. They say it's also a good idea for girls as young as 9 who are sexually active to get the shot. Additionally, they say older girls -- 13- to 26-year-olds -- should also get the shot.
Text Continues Below
Researchers attribute the decline in cervical cancer-related deaths to early detection with the Pap test. And, they say, the testing needs to continue, in part, because the vaccine does not protect against all strains of HPV. Some of the ones left out could potentially cause cervical cancer, and the Pap test is the best way to catch those cancers.
The difference now is that it's possible for Pap test screening to begin later in life and be performed less often.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Harvard Health Letter, Sept., 2006
|
.gif)
