HPV cancer, vaccine etc. studies in the news

Here’s a whip saw of news from the New England Journal of Medicine. It has studies on related topics of HPV vaccines and cervical and similar cancers. One study from the Univ. of Calif. San Francisco Med. Center raises some doubts about the efficacy of the human papilloma virus vaccine for prevention of cervical cancer. That is, it does work, but with caveats that perhaps leave it in the experimental category. This may drain some of the enthusiasm for already-flagging programs for mandatory innoculation of young women and girls.

The other article, from a Johns Hopkins team, relays evidence that HPV is also a risk for throat cancer. It unblushingly lifts a warning flag over oral sex. The latter activity is surely a lot more frequent among teenagers than intercourse. So here we have reports that 1) Provide more incentive for early vaccination but 2) say it might not work or may exacerbate other risks. Some outlets went for with the efficacy report first, others the oral sex angle.

-CP

On vaccine effectiveness:

Los Angeles Times Thomas H. Maugh II, Jia-Rui Chong with brief mention at the end on oral sex ; SF Chronicle Erin Allday;

On oral cancer risks:

Toronto Globe & Mail Andre Picard runs it under the startling hed “Oral sex can lead to throat cancer.” That could zip a few lips even though, in the story, he says the good news is that the higher risk remains fairly low; Washington Post Rob Stein puts up high that this may explain rising throat cancer among young people who neither smoke nor drink heavily. A source tells him that if vaccination is good for the girls, ditto for boys; The Register (UK) Lewis Page goes for cheeky, coarse humor with the hed: “Oral sex could be more dangerous than cigars – Looks bad for Clinton either way.” Hmmm. And Monica?;

Grist for the Mill:

Johns Hopkins Medicine Press Release on HPV, oral sex risks; Emery University Press Release on vaccine effectiveness against two common HPV strains; Merck Press Release stressing that its vaccine, Gardasil, does reduce HPV and cancer risk in women who had not been exposed to the virus before vaccine;