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HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccines for Cervical Cancer
    Posted: 06/08/2006    Updated: 11/07/2007
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Cancer Stat Fact Sheet: Cancer of the Cervix Uteri
Overview of frequently requested cancer statistics such as incidence, mortality, and survival rates.
Links to NCI Materials

NCI-supported Research about HPV and Cervical Cancer

HPV Clinical Trial Results

Links to Other Federal Government Materials

Links to NCI Materials

On June 8, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a new vaccine to prevent infection from four types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Two of the HPV types targeted by the vaccine (HPV-16 and HPV-18) are responsible for about 70 percent of the cases of cervical cancer worldwide. The other two HPV types (HPV-6 and HPV-11) cause approximately 90 percent of the cases of genital warts. The vaccine, made by Merck & Co., Inc., is based on laboratory research and technology developed at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI played a pivotal role in what holds promise to be a major public health success story. NCI continues to conduct research on HPV and cervical cancer.

The links on this page and in the next sections provide more information about HPV, vaccines, and cervical cancer.

For answers to your questions about HPV and cervical cancer, contact an information specialist with NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) by calling 1-800-4-CANCER or by using NCI's LiveHelp text chat service.

About HPV Vaccines
FDA Licenses New Vaccine for Prevention of Cervical Cancer and Other Diseases in Females Caused by Human Papillomavirus
Announcement of the Food and Drug Administration approval of Gardasil, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions and genital warts due to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

Statement from the National Cancer Institute on FDA Approval of the HPV Vaccine
Nearly two decades ago, researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other institutions began searching for the underlying causes of cervical cancer. That scientific quest led to today's approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the vaccine Gardasil™, which protects against infection from the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause the majority of cervical cancers worldwide.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccines: Questions and Answers
A fact sheet about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for the prevention of infection with certain types of HPV, which is the major cause of cervical cancer. National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 3.79

Understanding Cancer Series: HPV Vaccine
This tutorial, part of the Understanding Cancer Series, discusses human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the use of a vaccine to protect against future HPV infection.

About HPV
Human Papillomaviruses and Cancer: Questions and Answers
A fact sheet about the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cancer. National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 3.20

Study Estimates Overall HPV Prevalence in U.S. Women
Data published in the February 28, 2007, Journal of the American Medical Association provide the first national estimate of the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among women in the United States.

HPV a Risk Factor for Oropharyngeal Cancer
An epidemiological study led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University implicates human papillomavirus (HPV) exposure and infection as strong risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer, according to the May 10, 2007, New England Journal of Medicine.

A Primer on HPV
A brief guide to human papillomavirus (HPV), including transmission, incidence, treatment, and its connection to genital warts and cancer.
General Information about Cancer Vaccines and Cervical Cancer
Cancer Vaccine Fact Sheet
Cancer vaccines are intended either to treat existing cancers (therapeutic vaccines) or to prevent the development of cancer (prophylactic vaccines).

Treating and Preventing Cancer with Vaccines
Cancer vaccines are being tested in clinical trials to see if they can help to prevent or treat a wide variety of cancer types. This feature provides an introduction to cancer vaccines - how they work and why researchers think they're promising.

NCI Pursues Vaccines to Prevent and Treat Cancer
In this issue, BenchMarks examines prevention and treatment cancer vaccines that are currently in development at NCI and other cancer centers.

Cervical Cancer Home Page
NCI's gateway for information about cervical cancer.

Cervical Cancer - NCI Office of Women's Health
Collection of links to NCI information about research on cervical cancer, including statistics, descriptions of research projects, and reports of progress in cervical cancer research.

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NCI-supported Research about HPV and Cervical Cancer

Recent Studies Regarding HPV and Cervical Cancer: Questions and Answers
ALTS and Portland Kaiser Permanente studies allowed researchers to examine whether testing for specific human papillomavirus (HPV) types -- HPV16 and HPV18 -- was more effective at predicting risk for precancerous conditions or cervical cancer than testing for a broad pool of cancer-causing, or oncogenic, HPV types

Cervical Cancer and Other HPV-Related Studies
Descriptions of research projects about HPV infection and cervical neoplasia that are supported by NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.

Health Disparities - Cervical Cancer and HPV Research
Research studies supported by NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics with a focus on cervical cancer and HPV in underserved populations.

HPV E7 Vaccine
Information from NCI's Developmental Therapeutics Program about ongoing research in the development of HPV vaccines.

Behavioral Studies Regarding HPV and Cervical Cancer
Research studies supported by NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Behavioral Research Program, with a focus on HPV and cervical cancer.

Epidemiology Studies Regarding HPV and Cervical Cancer
Research studies supported by NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program, with a focus on HPV and cervical cancer.

Clinical Trials to Prevent Cervical Cancer
List of open/active clinical trials investigating ways to prevent cervical cancer, or to prevent a recurrence or progression of cervical cancer, from NCI's clinical trials registry.

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HPV Clinical Trial Results

Second HPV Vaccine Shows Early Positive Results
(Posted: 07/17/2007) - The vaccine Cervarix® was 90 percent effective against two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer, according to the June 30, 2007, Lancet.

New Data from HPV Vaccine Trials Available
(Posted: 05/22/2007) - Results from three years of follow-up data from two clinical trials of Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against the HPV viruses known to cause 70 percent of all cases of cervical cancer, have been published in the May 10, 2007, New England Journal of Medicine.

Vaccine Against Cervical Cancer Virus is Effective for More than Four Years
(Posted: 04/19/2006) - An experimental vaccine that protects against two types of a virus that can cause cervical cancer remained highly effective for up to 4.5 years and caused very few adverse effects, according to the April 15, 2006, issue of the Lancet.

Vaccine May Help Reduce Risk of Cervical Cancer
(Posted: 05/11/2005) - An experimental vaccine prevented young women from becoming persistently infected with two types of a virus that, together, cause more than two-thirds of all cases of cervical cancer, according to the May 2005 issue of The Lancet Oncology.

Vaccine Protects Against Virus Linked to Half of All Cervical Cancers
(Posted: 11/26/2002) - An experimental vaccine prevented women from becoming persistently infected with a virus that is associated with half of all cervical cancers, researchers reported in the Nov. 21, 2002, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

HPV Testing Shows Which Pap Abnormalities Need Attention
(Posted: 02/20/2001) - Results from the ALTS trial, reported in the Feb. 21, 2001, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Links to Other Federal Government Materials

CDC's Advisory Committee Recommends Human Papillomavirus Virus Vaccination
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend that Gardasil, a newly licensed vaccine designed to protect against human papillomavirus virus (HPV), be routinely given to girls when they are 11-12 years old. The ACIP is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ACIP Recommendations for the Use of Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine
Details about administering the HPV vaccine from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection
A collection of materials about HPV Infection from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

HPV Information from MedlinePlus
News and information about cervical cancer from the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus.

Cervical Cancer Information from MedlinePlus
News and information about cervical cancer from the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines Page
Information about the FDA process for reviewing and regulating vaccine products.

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