Giving the HPV vaccine to women with precancerous cells in the cervix may reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer, scientists say.
Experts from Imperial College London examined studies involving thousands of women vaccinated against HPV who had to remove precancerous cells.
The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, show that those who receive an additional injection of HPV in addition to treatment are approximately 60% less likely to develop regrowth of worrisome cells.
The researchers believe their results should be confirmed in large-scale studies, but the results are “robust.”
Researchers from Imperial College London examined studies in which thousands of women were vaccinated against HPV and had to remove precancerous cells. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, show that those who receive an additional injection of HPV in addition to treatment are approximately 60% less likely to develop regrowth of worrisome cells.
In the UK, boys and girls aged 12 to 13 are routinely injected with human papillomavirus (HPV), while children in the US are given injections from the age of nine.
It helps prevent cancers caused by the virus, such as cervical cancer, anal cancer, and some head and neck cancers.
The vaccine was introduced in 2008 and prior to that date people over the age of 13 are not offered the vaccine as standard under the NHS schedule.
But the latest study suggests that women with precancerous cells in the cervix — scientifically known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) — may benefit from getting it.
CIN caused by HPV is not cancer, but can turn into cervical cancer if left untreated.
Cervical swabs detect abnormal cells. Follow-up tests are required to confirm the presence of CIN.
Surgery may be needed to remove them.
When a woman is identified with high-quality precancerous cells in her cervix, she has a lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer.
Previous research suggests that giving a preventative HPV vaccine in addition to surgery to remove abnormal CIN cells may help reduce the risk for women.
To investigate this further, the experts analyzed the results of 18 studies to assess whether HPV shots reduce the risk of abnormal cells returning after surgery.
The studies followed the women for an average of three years.
The results showed that the risk of “high-grade pre-invasive disease” recurrence was 57% lower in those who were vaccinated at the time of surgery than those who did not receive an injection.
The results were even stronger in women who were found to be carriers of the strains of the virus most closely associated with cervical cancer.
However, the researchers cautioned that the effects of the vaccine were uncertain due to limited data, and the studies presented a moderate to high risk of bias.
There was a lack of evidence to determine whether HPV injection reduced the risk of vulvar, vaginal, or anal lesions and genital warts.
Additionally, most of the studies did not record the average age of the participants and did not control for risk factors such as smoking.
However, the team suggested that together they had strict inclusion criteria and evaluated the quality and bias of the study, and the results were robust.
However, they noted that high-quality, randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the effectiveness and cost of the HPV vaccine.
Source: Daily Mail
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