Women in the U.K. who received the HPV vaccine as adolescents reduced their risks of cervical cancer by nearly 90 percent, a study published Nov. 5 in The Lancet found.
"It’s a historic moment to see the first study showing that the HPV vaccine has and will continue to protect thousands of women from developing cervical cancer," said Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive.
Researchers used data from a population-based cancer registry and England's HPV vaccination program, introduced in 2008, to assess diagnoses of cervical cancer and CIN3 from Jan. 1, 2006, to June 30, 2019, in women aged 20 to 64.
Key findings:
- Cervical cancer rates in women vaccinated between ages 12 and 13 was 87 percent lower; 62 percent lower for those vaccinated between ages 14 and 16; and 34 percent lower for those vaccinated between ages 16 and 18.
- Researchers estimate that there were 450 fewer cases of cervical cancer and 17,200 fewer pre-cancerous cases in the vaccinated population compared to the unvaccinated population over 11 years in the U.K.