Study Finds 80% Decrease In Cervical Precancer In Early HPV Vaccine Recipients

In 2006, a new vaccine was added to the list of recommended childhood immunizations: a vaccine to protect against the human papilloma virus or HPV. This virus — which comprises 100 different strains — will infect just about everyone before the age of 45. And while 90% of infections will go away on their own within two years, some can have lasting and even deadly effects. But a new study from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) found a dramatic decrease in the rates of cervical precancer incidence in women between the ages of 20 and 24.

Researchers looked at data from 2008 to 2022. Overall incidence of precancer decreased 79% and higher-grade precancer incidence decreased 80%. The age of the women (20 to 24) is significant as this cohort is among the first to have been eligible for vaccination at the recommended age in 2006, generally prior to their becoming sexually active.

Gardasil-9 is the vaccine given in the United States and it protects against nine types of HPV including types 16 and 18, the two most likely to cause cancer. In addition to protecting against cervical cancer — the most common cancer associated with HPV — it also protects against cancers of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, mouth, throat, head, and neck as well as genital warts. Doctors recommend girls and boys get the two-dose vaccination (done six to twelve months apart) between the ages of 11 and 12. However, children as young as 9 and people as old as 45 can be safely immunized. Those receiving the vaccine after the age of 15, however, will be given a three-dose version.

The American Cancer Association estimates that in 2025, about 13,360 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed. Typically, this is diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 44, but it can come at any time. In fact, 20% of new cases are found in women over the age of 65. While improved screening efforts and access have improved life expectancy for those diagnosed, between 2014 and 2020, the five-year survival rate for cervical cancer was 67.4% — a third of those diagnosed will still succumb to their cancer within five years. The National Cancer Institute estimated that there were 4,360 cervical deaths last year.

The good news is, this promising new data from the CDC indicates that over the next few decades, we can expect a dramatic decrease in cervical cancers. The bad news is, we could be doing even better. Unfortunately, vaccination rates for HPV lag behind overall vaccination rates. For example, while 93% of new kindergarteners are up to date on the vaccines required by the state to attend public school, just 64% of girls and 59% of boys are up to date on the HPV vaccine.

There is no universal “cure for cancer.” There are more than 200 varieties of the terrible illness that will each require a unique approach to cure. We also don’t have a cure for cervical cancer. And so a vaccination that has overwhelmingly been shown to prevent it is an invaluable tool to help us protect our children.