Risk reduction from HPV vaccination goes beyond cervical cancer

Results from a new study presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting suggest that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is effective in preventing the development of several types of cancers caused by HPV, most particularly head and neck cancer in males.

This study examined the HPV-vaccinated persons’ risk of developing cancers of the head and neck, anal areas, penis, vulva, vagina, and cervix. It also examined the HPV vaccine’s impact on need for surgical treatment of cancer and pre-cancerous lesions.

This study included 1,706,539 patients vaccinated for HPV and 1,706,538 age-matched control patients with no prior HPV-vaccination. A total of 56 per cent were female.

Males vaccinated for HPV had a lower risk of developing all HPV-related cancers (3.4 cases per 100,000 vaccinated patients vs 7.5 per 100,000
unvaccinated patients), as well as a lower risk of developing head and neck cancers compared to unvaccinated males (2.8 cases per 100,000 vaccinated patients vs 6.3 per 100,000 unvaccinated patients).

Females vaccinated for HPV had a lower risk of developing cervical cancer (7.4 cases per 100,000 vaccinated patients vs 10.4 per 100,000 unvaccinated patients) and a lower risk of developing all HPV-related cancers compared to unvaccinated females (11.5 cases per 100,000 vaccinated patients vs 15.8 per 100,000 unvaccinated patients).

However, odds of developing head and neck cancers, and vulvar or vaginal cancer, were not significantly different in vaccinated females compared to those who had not received the vaccine.

Vaccinated females without a prior diagnosis of abnormal findings during a Pap test were less likely to develop precancerous dysplasia of the cervix and undergo invasive procedures to treat and prevent precancerous lesions.