PWA Milan: Newsletter 2008 - Focus on cervical cancer

Focus on cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the second most deadly tumour that a woman can suffer after breast cancer. There are 400,000 new cases each year and 250,000 deaths caused by its main culprit. The culprit goes under the name of the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV for short.

So what is it and how can you get it?
As the name implies, it is a virus but it can also take the form of genital warts (so beware those keen on oral sex!) Unfortunately for us there are over a 100 different types each given numbers to distinguish them because there are so many. And yes, its one of those killjoys that punish you each time you enjoy the little pleasures of life! It’s basically transmitted through intimate contact, including sexual intercourse.

There is a silver lining however. Out of the hundred or so HPV types, only around 13 are so-called "high-risk" sexually transmitted HPVs that cause cervical cancers.

Breaking news
To counter attack these high risk microscopic b*****ds, there has been a new scientific discovery courtesy of Sanofi Pasteur and Glaxo in the form of the vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix. It has been claimed that these vaccines prevent HPV causing cervical cancer in almost all girls and women. In reality they only attack two of the thirteen high risk HPV’s and so giving about 70% protection against cervical cancer cases.

Nevertheless, so convinced is the ministry of health in Italy as in the rest of Europe of its potential to prevent this plague that the European Institute of Oncology, has announced that all girls born in 1996 and who will reach the age of 12 during year 2008 will be legible for this vaccine free of charge. Their parents can expect to receive a letter from ASL to this effect.

That’s not good enough, according to Altroconsumo, an Italian consumer watchdog who claims that, the duration of the vaccine is unknown. Experimentation has not lasted long enough to give us this information and so when these girls eventually reach the age when they are likely to embark on sexual experimentation the vaccine may no longer be effective. What’s more, to extend the immunisation, you could find yourself with a bill of €570.