The medical journal, Lancet Onclology, has published a commentary by Diane Harper, M.D., Professor in the UMKC Departments of Community and Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Informatics and Personalized Health. Dr. Harper’s comments are in response to a study reported in the journal suggesting that bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine used in the routine vaccination of girls against cervical cancer, also protects against HPV infection that can lead to anal cancer and might prevent a large proportion of anal cancers in women.

In Dr. Harper’s commentary, “Who should be targeted for vaccination against anal cancer,” she addresses ongoing studies regarding the potential benefits of the HPV vaccine for men, noting that “the additional protection against four oncogenic anal HPV types in women increases their benefits from vaccination. For men who have sex with men, HPV vaccination for anal cancer prevention is very cost effective, but, cost-effectiveness analyses for women and for men who have sex with men pivot on the duration of vaccine efficacy. Without duration of efficacy of at least 15 years, cancers will not be prevented for women or men who have sex with men, only postponed.”

“Gardasil is an HPV vaccine that only has evidence of preventing anal cancer in men who have sex with men (MSM); and therefore, general male vaccination in the population is not warranted,” Dr. Harper concludes.

To read the complete commentary, visit http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2811%2970237-6/fulltext

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