The debate over HPV rages on

Posted: 07.31.2008 at 10:22 AM

Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) is a vaccine designed to immunize against certain sexually transmitted diseases, such as cervical cancer and genital warts, which are caused by human papillomaviruses. The only HPV vaccine currently on the market is Gardasil, with a second vaccine, Cervarix, currently in clinical trials.

What is HPV?
HPV is short for human papilloma (pap-ah-LO-mah) virus. HPVs are a group of over 100 related viruses. HPVs are called papilloma viruses because some of the HPV types cause warts, or papillomas, which are non-cancerous tumors. The papilloma viruses are attracted to and are able to live only in squamous epithelial cells in the body. Squamous epithelial cells are thin, flat cells that are found on the surface of the skin, cervix, vagina, anus, vulva, head of the penis, mouth, and throat. HPVs will not grow in other parts of the body. Certain types of HPV increase women’s risk for cancer of the cervix. HPV-16 is found in 50%of cervical cancers. About a dozen other HPV types are involved in most other cases of the disease. Read more

What is Cervical Cancer?
Cancer of the cervix begins in the lining of the cervix. Cervical cancers do not form suddenly. Normal cervical cells gradually develop pre-cancerous changes that turn into cancer. Doctors use several terms to describe these pre-cancerous changes, including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL), and dysplasia.
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According to UniversityHealth.org, cervical cancer progresses from tissue layers on the surface of the cervix (early stage IB) to invasion of deeper tissue layers of the cervix and uterus (stage IIB). Stage III and stage IV cervical cancer extends into the pelvic area and other areas of the body (metastasis).