Cervical Cancer Awareness Month: Highlighting the Importance of HPV Vaccination and Early Screening

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and HPV is the most common cause of cervical cancer.[4] While there is much that developed countries like the US and low- and middle-income countries like Nepal can do to improve access to cervical cancer screenings and HPV vaccines,[11] we’d like to highlight preventative measures you can take to protect yourself and your family.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus spread through intimate sexual contact which nearly everyone will contract in their lifetime.[1] Even individuals with no signs or symptoms can spread HPV.[1] Typically, the body fights off the virus on its own within two years and most infected individuals won’t ever know they have it.[2] This is true of both cancer-causing and non-cancer-causing HPV types.[2]

HPV and Cervical Cancer

While the majority are not cancer-causing (non-oncogenic), between 2017 and 2021, there were an estimated 47,984 cases of HPV-associated cancers in the U.S. each year (26,280 in women and 21,704 in men).[3] While HPV infections are commonly associated with cervical cancer, it is a common misconception that the infection doesn’t impact males. HPV is associated with penile, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers in males in addition to cervical cancer.[1] In fact, about 91% of cancers of anal cancer in males are believed to be caused by HPV.[9] It’s also believed that over 90% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV infections.[4] These numbers are staggering considering the effectiveness of preventative measures such as screening for females and the HPV vaccine for both males and females.

HPV Vaccine

HPV vaccination can prevent over 90% of cancers caused by HPV.4 It was first introduced in the U.S. in 2006 and it has had dramatic results:[5]

• Among teen girls, infections with high-risk HPV types dropped by 88%

• Among young adult women, these infections dropped by 81%

• Among vaccinated women, cervical pre-cancers caused by high-risk HPV types dropped by 40%

It’s recommended5 that children begin the HPV vaccination series at age 11 or 12 but can be administered to people aged 15-26 with slight dose variations. For individuals over the age of 26, the vaccine offers fewer benefits[5] as people in this age group have likely already been exposed to HPV. It is recommended for all children to receive the vaccine, not just girls, as thousands of men are diagnosed with HPV-associated cancer each year.[3]

Screening

Screenings are a great resource for detecting cervical cancer or pre-cancer early as pre-cancers usually don’t have symptoms.6 The HPV test looks for the human papillomavirus while the pap test (pap smear) detects precancers or other cell changes on the cervix.6 It is recommended to begin testing at age 21 with a doctor's recommendation on which test or tests to get.[6] Unfortunately, there are no tests for HPV for men like there are for women.[7] The virus can be detected from anogenital warts[7] or for cases of oropharyngeal cancers a lump in the neck or ear pain.[8] However, as mentioned earlier, many cancer-causing HPV types are asymptomatic.

Cervical Cancer in LMICs

In 2022, about 94% of deaths caused by cervical cancer occurred in low- and middle-income countries, such as Nepal. Binaytara Foundation is working with local community organizations to roll out a series of health camps in Nepal to provide screenings, health education, and connect people with our 25-bed cancer hospital for those who have cancer.[12]

Conclusion

Getting the HPV vaccine and getting screened for cervical cancer are two of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of getting certain cancers. Since nearly every person will contract HPV in their lifetime, it is vital to protect yourself against the virus. Every year in the U.S., about 200,000 women are diagnosed with cervical pre-cancer.[4] In Nepal, cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer for women behind breast cancer. These pre-cancerous cells can be treated before they develop into cancer and are tested for during a pap test.[6] While cervical pre-cancer is treatable, it has to be detected first. That means getting regularly tested. For males, options for protection against HPV-associated cancers are more limited as there are no male equivalents to the HPV test or regular screening practices like the pap test, but getting the HPV vaccine can help prevent you from passing it on to others. Therefore, it is important for males to receive the HPV vaccine, self-check, and talk to their doctor about early detection options or symptoms of HPV-associated cancers.

As Cervical Awareness Month comes to an end, empower yourself through education about prevention and screening options.

The content provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Consult a medical professional for diagnoses, treatment, or medical advice.

Sources:

1. About HPV. cdc.gov. Updated July 3, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/about/index.html

2. Basic Information about HPV and Cancer. cdc.gov. Updated September 24, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic-information.html

3. Cancers Associated with Human Papillomavirus. cdc.gov. Updated September 18, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/united-states-cancer-statistics/publications/hpv-associated-cancers.html

4. Cancers Caused by HPV. cdc.gov. Updated September 30, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/about/cancers-caused-by-hpv.html#:~:text=More%20than%209%20of%20every,be%20prevented%20by%20HPV%20vaccination

5. HPV Vaccination. cdc.gov. Updated August 20, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/vaccines/index.html

6. Screening for Cervical Cancer. cdc.gov. Updated December 11, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/cervical-cancer/screening/index.html

7. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Men: Questions and Answers. canada.ca. Updated August 7, 2024. Accessed January 21, 2025. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/infectious-diseases/sexual-health-sexually-transmitted-infections/hpv-men-questions-answers.html

8. Underferth D. What Men Need to Know about HPV-related Throat Cancer. mdanderson.org. Updated March, 2020. Accessed January 21, 2025. https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/what-men-need-to-know-about-hpv-related-throat-cancer.h12-1593780.html

9. Cancers Linked with HPV Each Year. cdc.gov. Updated September 18, 2024. Accessed January 23, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/cases.html#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20about%207%2C854%20people,to%20be%20caused%20by%20HPV

10. Nepal Fact Sheet 2022. International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Global Cancer Observatory. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/524-nepal-fact-sheet.pdf

11. A new moonshot initiative to fight cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region is missing something. STAT News, First Opinion. By Dr. Fengting Yan, Dr. Binay Shah and Dr. Siddhartha Yadav. Published Nov. 29, 2024. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://www.statnews.com/2024/11/29/hpv-vaccines-quad-cancer-moonshot-initiative-us-japan-indo-pacific/

12. Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet. World Health Organization. Accessed January 31, 2024.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer#:~:text=Overview,to%20cervical%20cancer%20(2).