For some years in Italy the health system has offered the vaccine for papilloma virus (HPV) free of charge to adolescents aged 11 and 12, especially useful before the start of sexual activity and therefore of a possible infection. The aim is to prevent the consequences, even in the long term, that the virus triggers in the body, including precancerous lesions in the cervix and, later, cancer. The same vaccine, however, could also be useful later, to prevent the risk of recurrence in women who have already contracted the virus and undergo surgery to remove these lesions of the cervix. The results of a study published in the British Medical Journal.
Cervical cancer: HPV kills a thousand women every year
by Irma D’Aria
The consequences of the Hpv virus
A report of two years ago by the National Institutes of Health, in the USA, highlighted that the HPV virus is responsible for almost all cancers of the uterine cervix, 95% of tumors of the anus, 70% of cancers of the oropharynx (in which viral transmission occurs through oral sex), 65% of those of the vagina, half of those of the vulva and 35% of cancers of the penis. Adolescence is the most critical time to contract the virus. For this reason, the World Health Organization, since the first vaccine developed in 2006, has recommended vaccination for young girls. Vaccinating, according to the data, would be able to prevent about 90% of cancers.
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Injuries of the uterine cervix
Intraepithelial neoplasms of the cervix (or Cin) are “pre-malignant” lesions caused by the Hpv virus which, if neglected, are precursors of true malignant tumors of the cervix. They can present with three degrees of severity, but often manage to be diagnosed promptly thanks to the Pap test and the HPv test, tests that in our country are part of the national health screening program, and thanks to which the progression to the tumor form real can be avoided. Surgery is often required to treat Cin, after which the risk of recurrence is not zero. Women who undergo surgery to treat high-grade CIN, in particular, have a high residual risk of developing cervical cancer or other malignancies linked to HPV infection. This is why having a relapse prevention tool is important.
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I study
Could the HPV vaccine be this tool? To answer this, the researchers analyzed the results of 18 studies (12 of which were observational) to evaluate the effect of vaccination on the risk of HPV infection or relapse after surgery. The results show that the risk of recurrence of high-grade lesions was reduced by 57% in vaccinated compared to unvaccinated people, and the estimated effect reaches 74% in case the infection is caused by the two types. of the most common Hpvs (Hpv16 and Hpv18), which is responsible for the majority of cervical cancers. The data collected and the results of the studies analyzed, however, are not conclusive and the researchers stress that large-scale analyzes must be performed to establish with certainty the effectiveness of vaccination in preventing relapses.