A vaccination against cancer? That sounds too good to be true. And it’s not that simple, unfortunately. But early vaccination against the HP-virus is best, before Teens become sexually active – can prevent cervical cancer and other types of cancer. Human papilloma viruses (HPV) are responsible diseases for a number of cancer. The centre for cancer registry data (ZfKD) assumes that cervical cancer is associated almost 100 Percent with HPV.
A milestone of cancer research: For the discovery of the relationship of HPV and the development of specific types of cancer price got Harald Hauser 2008 medicine Nobel. The pharmaceutical industry called on the Plan. Merck Sharp & Drohme Ltd. and MSD Vaccins have brought in 2006, two vaccines on the market to prevent infection with HPV.
Risk Factor Smoking
Approximately 19 percent of all preventable cases of cancer are attributable to cigarette. Smoking is considered the most important preventable risk factor in the development of cancer. Also, passive smoke poses a risk.
Smokers develop more lung cancer than non-smokers. Around nine out of ten men with lung cancer have contracted the disease, probably from Smoking. For women, there are six out of ten people Affected. In addition, there are correlations with many other types of cancer, such as oral cavity, esophagus, or larynx cancer.
So you lower your risk:
Stop with the Smoking. A stop Smoking is worth it at any age. The following applies: The earlier in life, the greater the positive effect. Ten years after the last cigarette the risk of certain cancers, decreases diseases, such as the mouth, trachea and esophagus cancer. The risk to develop lung cancer, decreases in comparison to people who have smoked to the half.
Have established Gardasil and Cervarix. Cervarix protects against the two virus strains (16 and 18), which are mainly used for the development of cancer. Gardasil is designed to protect you from other tribes. HPV 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58. The vaccine works in addition to HPV 6 and 11, which cause warts on sex organs and Anus.
About two percent of all cancers go back on HPV
According to the Robert Koch-Institute, there are about 6250 women and 1600 men of HPV are diagnosed annually due to cancer disease. Cervical cancer is the most common. But also tonsil cancer, larynx cancer or anal cancers are HPV-related.
How to I’m me with HPV?
In the course of life nearly every adult is infected with HPV. Because the viruses are also transferred during intercourse with a condom. The skin contact is enough. “HP-viruses are, in principle, on a narrow skin or mucous membrane contact from person to transmit a human being. In this way, the infection can be found, among other things, with harmless skin warts. HP viruses, with the development of cancer in be associated, usually through sexual contact – vaginal, anal, vulvär but also orally – transmitted”, explains Tanja Fehm, Director of the University women’s clinic Dusseldorf.
Often the infection heals by itself within several months to years. According to the German cancer research center, there are around 200 different types of HPV. Not all of them are dangerous. The infection with high-risk types 16 and 18 increases the risk of developing cancer. Other strains cause relatively warts harmless genital.
There is a Transfer without being sexually active?
“A rare non-sexual Transmission is the Transmission from mother to child in the birth. The Transmission through the shared use of toilets or towels is considered to be unlikely, but is not excluded theoretically perfect”, so Tanja Fehm.
How can I get on HPV testing?
Who wants to be a test, for example, with a smear at the gynecologist. A swab of the infected mucous membrane or infected tissue is enough to HP to prove virus. So far, HP viruses are only really reliable in the lining of the uterus to prove. The power of the Test for men, for example, on the Penis, rather unreliable. Currently, studies are underway whether HPV can also be through blood tests reliably detected. Anyone who has an infected partner, it should appeal to a doctor, what are the options.
It is reasonable to test boys and girls, and the vaccination for HPV?
The Standing Committee on vaccination recommends vaccination of boys and girls between nine and fourteen years. Because it is assumed that vaccination takes place before the first sexual contact. But even then, it makes sense to vaccinate young people.
“Before the first sexual intercourse power due to the minimal or non-existent contagion probability is no sense to test for HPV,” says Tanja Fehm. And also in the case of sexually active adolescents think that the chances of a vaccine is still quite high.
Vaccination in the criticism
Despite the STIKO recommendation since 2007, and the assumption of costs by the health insurance funds, some of the parents of the HPV vaccination are critical. Possible consequences of the relatively “new” vaccination make you Worry. In Germany, the vaccination rate against HPV is 15-Year-old after ten years of vaccination recommendations of the ständige impfkommission STIKO at around 31 percent. In comparison to other countries is low. In Australia, England and Scandinavia, the vaccination rates are much higher.
In fact, there are as yet no long-term studies on vaccination. Which is of course the fact that the vaccination is new. Nevertheless, foreign experience shows that in the fight against cancer success thanks to the vaccination against HPV can be achieved.
Example Australia: Already in 2007, was established in Australia, the HPV vaccination. Calculations of the Australian Foundation, Cancer Council of NSW that already by 2035, cervical cancer could be reduced to four cases in 100,000 women. This would amount to a “removal” of this type of tumor, according to the “Deutsche Ärzteblatt”. “The acceptance was most recently with 78.6 percent for girls and 72.9 per cent among the young is very high,” says the journal. An example of how a consistent vaccination against cervical cancer can protect.
In the Marvel series “The Avengers,” plays Mark Ruffalo the super hero Hulk. If he gets angry, he turns into a green giant that can defeat his force almost any opponent. In real life, Ruffalo in 2002, had to fight against the cancer. After a brain tumor was diagnosed, he had to undergo a surgery. Although the Tumor was benign, Ruffalo numb since the SURGERY on the left ear and suffered for a time even under a facial paralysis.
Tanja Fehm back know the possible risks of the vaccination: “There are no late effects from the vaccine. In none of the major vaccine studies and in the evaluation of large databases of vaccinated women […] could be demonstrated, disease a high incidence of auto-immune [ … ].”
What can I do if I have infected me with HPV?
Around 80 Percent of all people become infected during their lifetime with the Virus. But only a few realize it because the infection symptom remains free and unpunished, Tanja Fehm. Only about ten percent of the Infected, the virus infection has consequences. Severe infection with HPV 16 and 18. Do not show symptoms, although here, too, immediately, but the cancer risk increases immensely.
HP viruses can be identified by a medical examination. If the viruses are detected, you should closely examine, so that tissue can be detected changes quickly and treated.
What are the therapeutic vaccination?
But also women, the HPV high-risk strains carry or already degenerate cells, may soon be helped. Scientists of the German cancer research center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg are working on a therapeutic vaccine. Unlike the regular vaccination no antibodies are formed, but T-cells attack cancer cells directly. The clinical studies are still ongoing and will show what success can bring to the therapeutic vaccination in the fight against cancer. According to the German cancer research center could be destroyed in the animal experiment, tumor cells completely. A glimmer of hope for all carriers of the high-risk strains.
A doctor shows the x-ray image of a lung cancer patient. The star has statistics on the topic of cancer. Click track through the photo.