Post by Logan on Jan 28, 2016 0:07:54 GMT -6
Sixty-nine top cancer centers from around the country have joined forces to urge more widespread use of the vaccine to treat the human papillomavirus, which can lead to deadly cervical, throat and other cancers.
The centers, including the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, issued a joint statement Wednesday encouraging more parents to bring their children in for what is known as the HPV vaccine. They called the potential spread of the virus a "public health threat" and urged doctors to be advocates on the issue.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 79 million Americans are infected with HPV and that the sexually transmitted virus causes 14 million new infections each year. The body's immune system fights off the HPV virus in most cases, but some strains lead to genital cancers, such as cervical and penile. Rates of throat cancers caused by the virus have also been rising in recent years.
"HPV vaccination represents a rare opportunity to prevent many cases of cancer that is tragically underused," said the group's statement, noting that it "is our best defense in stopping HPV infection in our youth and preventing HPV-related cancers in our communities."
Read more: www.baltimoresun.com/health/maryland-health/bs-hs-hpv-vaccine-20160126-story.html
The centers, including the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, issued a joint statement Wednesday encouraging more parents to bring their children in for what is known as the HPV vaccine. They called the potential spread of the virus a "public health threat" and urged doctors to be advocates on the issue.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 79 million Americans are infected with HPV and that the sexually transmitted virus causes 14 million new infections each year. The body's immune system fights off the HPV virus in most cases, but some strains lead to genital cancers, such as cervical and penile. Rates of throat cancers caused by the virus have also been rising in recent years.
"HPV vaccination represents a rare opportunity to prevent many cases of cancer that is tragically underused," said the group's statement, noting that it "is our best defense in stopping HPV infection in our youth and preventing HPV-related cancers in our communities."
Read more: www.baltimoresun.com/health/maryland-health/bs-hs-hpv-vaccine-20160126-story.html