Prevention of cervical cancer, problems and prospects of vaccination antipapillomavirus
Cervical cancer remains a major public health problem, second leading cause of female cancer after breast. Despite the considerable success recorded by the cytological screening for its prevention, the smear has not received all the hopes which could be expected to reduce to a large-scale impact. In addition, to prevent cervical cancer, screening seems to benefit only a small portion of the world’s population, whereas a large proportion of those who receive it endures its weaknesses.
The fact that cervical cancer is the ultimate consequence of chronic infection papillomavirus (HPV) provides the extraordinary opportunity to prevent the disease through vaccination. The HPV 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers in the world. Indeed a prophylactic vaccine to prevent cancer and precancerous lesions associated HPV, is expected to save lives, reduce costly interventions and would benefit individually and collectively significant.
Based on the use of non-infectious viral particles (VLP) from the protein major capsid L1, clinical trials show that the vaccine HPV 16 and 18 prophylactic induce a strong neutralizing antibody production with a minimum of side effects protection of 100% of the infection HPV16 and 18 persistent and high-grade CIN associated.
The HPV vaccine would reduce by half the frequency of abnormal smears, the number of colposcopy and biopsy and directed that the salaries of precancerous lesions. An estimated 90% reduction in deaths from cervical cancer. Clinical trials are large-scale phase 3 development before placing on the market of these vaccines scheduled for late 2006.
The establishment of a routine vaccination for girls aged 11 to 16 years with over four to five years, a gradual recovery of cohorts of young women aged 17 to 25 years is the accepted positioning of the product. The strategies for screening of cervical cancer in the era vaccine are being analyzed.
