Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor of the cervix, a part of the female reproductive tract. Recent studies have found the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to be efficient in preventing high-grade cervical lesions. However, the exact effects and efficacy of the vaccine are not known. This study aims to evaluate the association between quadrivalent HPV vaccination and the risk of invasive cervical cancer.
This study included an open population of 1,672,983 girls and women aged 10-30 years. The researchers evaluated the association between HPV vaccination and the risk of invasive cervical cancer, keeping factors like follow-up and parental characteristics in check. The primary outcome of the study was the subsequent risk of invasive cervical cancer after HPV vaccination.
The included participants were evaluated for cervical cancer until they turned 31. The findings suggested that cervical cancer was reported in 19 women who had undergone quadrivalent HPV vaccination. In comparison, 438 women with cervical cancer who didn’t undergo HPV vaccination were diagnosed. The cumulative incidence of cervical cancer was 47 cases per 100,000 persons in those who received the vaccination, compared with 94 cases per 100,000 persons who didn’t.
The research concluded that the administration of the HPV vaccine was associated with a reduced risk of invasive cervical cancer in women.
Ref: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1917338
