Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. However, there are some types of cancer for which there are effective treatments, such as breast, colon, rectal, testicular or ovarian. Some can even be eradicated. Such as cervix or cervixwhich, unlike other types of cancer whose cause is unknown, is mainly caused by the so-called human papilloma virus (HPV), which makes it back. according to experts, “potentially eradicable”.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. More than 300,000 people die each year throughout the world, although it does not affect the same way in all places. What’s more, we are facing a type of cancer that ends up affecting much more in those areas of the world where there are not so many economic resources. In Spain, for example, ‘only’ there are around 700 deaths a year.
More than 300,000 people die each year throughout the world, although it does not affect the same way in all places
For almost two decades there have been vaccines that prevent HPV, but it is now when the experts consider that a definitive advance can be made to eradicate it in the short-medium term. Are we close to the end of uterine cancer? Here we explain it to you.
The definitive HPV vaccine
The big difference with respect to the prevention methods that were carried out up to now is that different studies that are being carried out throughout the world show that HPV vaccines are effective with a single dose, something that would facilitate access and vaccination in corners where it is currently unfeasible to vaccinate due to lack of resources. Currently, the vaccination processes to prevent this type of cancer include two or three vaccines and the WHO is already considering recommending a single vaccine, something that would allow the global goal of vaccinate 90% of girls under 15 years of age by 2030.
These studies determine that a single dose of the HPV vaccine is 98% effective. Under this premise, low-income countries, where 90% of deaths from cervical cancer occur, could distribute them. The effort then is now to detect all those people who suffer from cancer and manage to give them the vaccines, without having to contact them again months later, as happened on other occasions, a laborious process that is not valued in countries where it is already rare to know cases in which this type of pathology occurs.
