Posted by - J. Rand Baggesen, M.D.

Gardasil, the vaccination approved by the FDA June 8^th 2006 for the prevention of Human Papillomavirus, has garnered a lot of attention over the past few weeks. Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, recently used an Executive Order mandating the vaccination for all girls entering the sixth grade by 2008. Similar legislation is being considered here in Virginia. So what’s all the interest surrounding this new immunization? This month’s High Tech Health column will continue the discovery of preventative healthcare topics and further explore last month’s discussion on immunizations.

Cancer in its many forms is a challenging subject for doctors and patients. Cancer begins as a single cell looses its genetic compass and begins to grow without regulation. These cells continue to grow until our current medical tools and practices are able to find them.

Let us first use a little basic science to understand how immunizations work to protect our bodies against various infections. When a virus or bacteria enters our body and tries to grow, our immune system reacts to fight such an infection. Various types of blood cells attack these invaders. White blood cells are the body’s infection fighters. There are several types of white blood cells, each have a different job protecting us from infection. Some white blood cells gobble up virus and bacteria, killing them. Other types of white blood cells make antibodies that attach to the invaders, allowing the killer white cells to recognize the invaders as foreign cells to our body. When these antibody producing white blood cell factories are stimulated by an infecting organism, your body then remembers the offending organism. Once your body has “learned” how to recognize that invader, it can quickly mount a response to a repeated exposure to that certain pathogen. This is what we define as immunity. The human immune system usually remembers invaders for about 10 years or so, that’s why we sometimes need “booster” shots to maintain our immunity.

The new vaccine for cervical cancer works in this way. Cervical cancer can be caused by chronic infection from a virus. The Human Papillomavirus, HPV, infects about 20 million Americans. HPV has been identified as the cause of cervical Cancer, pre-cancers, genital warts and benign cervical lesions. Gardasil is a vaccine that protects against 4 types of HPV. HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer and HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for about 90% of genital warts. Gardasil protects against these 4 types of HPV infection and thus is considered a quadrivalent vaccine. The Future II drug study on Gardasil was recently completed. It followed almost 12,000 women in 13 countries given the immunization. The vaccine is given in a series of 3 inter-muscular injections, starting with the first shot, followed 1 month later and then at 6 months. The vaccine is approved for females 9-26 years old for the prevention of HPV.

Cervical cancer is one of the leading cancers in women. In 2005, there were 10,400 new cases in the US and approximately 3,700 deaths annually as a result of this disease. This new vaccination represents a powerful new preventative tool which can decrease the risk for this type of cancer. As modern medicine continues to understand the many forms of cancer, advances in prevention will show promise beyond our current methods of treatment.

Early detection and treatment has been shown to improve the outcome in most types of cancer. Early detection and prevention are key. The vaccine Gardasil gives the next generation an effective way to reduce the risk of cervical cancer. The vaccine Gardasil is that key for this generation. There are other forms of vaccines under development that may help in cancer prevention. While headlines surrounding these breakthroughs capture our attention, it is also essential to remember the basics of health. Diets low in saturated fats, exercise and regular health exams are the foundation of good health. Staying current with new advances in medical practice is what this column is all about.

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