HPV immunisation in UK lowers the incidence of cervical cancer and CIN3

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ONCOLOGY

Medical writer: Connie TANG | Last updated: 6 December 2021 | In: Infectious Disease, Human Papillomavirus, Oncology

Article Keywords

immunisation, immunisation programme, preventive healthcare, vaccination, HPV, women’s health, cervical cancer, public health, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, HPV vaccine

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer, anogenital cancers and head and neck cancers if long-lasting infections are triggered by high-risk HPV strains, accounting for the great burden of HPV-related cancers worldwide with an estimated incidence in 570,000 women and 600,000 men each year.^1,2 In UK, cervical cancer is the 2^nd most common female cancer in women aged 15 to 44 years, with 28.3 millions women aged ≥15 years at risk and an estimated population of 3.2% harbouring cervical HPV 16/18 infection at a given time.² HPV vaccination not only protects against new infections but also helps prevent up to 90% of HPV-related cancers.¹ A newly published paper from Lancet presented the early effects of the HPV immunisation programme in England starting in 2008 with a bivalent vaccine on the risk reduction of cervical cancer and grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN3).³

The observational study estimated the relative risk of cervical cancer in three vaccinated cohorts compared with the earlier vaccination-ineligible cohorts using an extension of the age-period-cohort Poisson model.³ Three vaccinated cohorts were used to elucidate the differences in the school year in which the vaccine was offered and its national coverage.³ Confounding was adjusted based on changes in cervical screening policy and historical events that affected cervical cancer incidence.³ Different adjustments for confounders compared results across models.³

With data analysis of a total of 13.7 million women aged 20 years to <30 years, the relative reduction in cervical cancer rate by age at vaccination was estimated 34% for age 16-18 years, 62% for age 14-16 years, and 87% for age 12-13 years, vs the reference unvaccinated cohort.³ HPV vaccination also reduced the risk of CIN3 by 39% for those who received vaccine at age 16-18 years, by 75% for age 14-16 years, and by 97% for age 12-13 years.³ Similar results across the models were observed.³ The investigators estimated a reduction of 448 and 17,235 cases in expected cervical cancers and CIN3, respectively, by June 30, 2019.³

The study revealed that the HPV immunisation in England greatly lowered rate of cervical cancer and incidence of CIN3 in young women, with the greatest risk reduction in the age group of 12-13 years.³

Reference

National Cancer Institute. HPV and Cancer. Available online. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hpv-and-cancer. Last accessed: 23 November 2021.

HPV Information Centre. Human Papillomavirus and Related Diseases Report 2021 (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Available online. https://hpvcentre.net/statistics/reports/GBR.pdf?t=1637726173464. Last accessed: 24 November 2021.

Falcaro M et al. The Lancet. Published online 03 November 2021.

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Disclaimer

This article is not medical advice. Patients should seek personal assessment by a licenced specialist. Physicians are recommended to read the full publication(s) as cited in the article before making medical decisions. This article does not supersede nor replace the published article(s).