Could the HPV vaccine eliminate cervical cancer deaths?

One of the first reviews of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has shown that it has reduced the risk of cervical cancer death before age 30 to effectively zero in the United Kingdom. The study, published by The Lancet medical journal on Wednesday this week, has shown remarkable results, experts say, raising hopes in other countries where the vaccine is also being rolled out. Cervical cancer is a particularly aggressive form of the disease with a poor prognosis for those diagnosed with it. It often affects young women under the age of 30. HPV, which can be transmitted through sexual contact, is the primary cause of cervical cancer and routine vaccinations of teenage girls and boys in the UK began in 2008. What does the latest study show? The study, led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and funded by Cancer Research UK, shows that in the five years from 2020 to 2024, no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer in the UK. Without the vaccine, 23 deaths would have been expected during this time. Between 2000 and 2004, 25 women in that age bracket died of cervical cancer. The death toll was 16 between 2005 and 2009; 27 from 2010 to 2014; and five for 2015 to 2019. “This is an incredible milestone and major progress in our mission to beat cancer,” said Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK. …