Researchers have noted a decrease in cervical cancer deaths among women under 25, most likely due to the HPV vaccine’s introduction.
Cervical cancer fatalities have significantly diminished in women below age 25, with experts from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center attributing this trend to HPV vaccination.
Published in JAMA, their research is the first to indicate the role of HPV vaccination in lowering cervical cancer deaths.
“We identified a significant drop in mortality — a 62% reduction in cervical cancer deaths over the last decade, which is likely linked to HPV vaccination,” stated senior author Ashish Deshmukh, Ph.D., co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. “We cannot identify any other factors that could have led to such a notable decline.”
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for nearly all cervical cancer cases. The HPV vaccine was launched in 2006, initially aimed at adolescents, but has expanded eligibility to include some adults up to 45 years old since then.
Earlier studies have investigated the rates of HPV infections, precancerous conditions, and cervical cancer cases since the vaccine’s rollout, all of which have shown a decline. The next logical step was to examine mortality rates, according to Deshmukh.
While cervical cancer is infrequent among women under 25, it can still happen. By analyzing deaths in this age group, researchers could assess the early effects of the vaccine. For instance, women aged 25 in 2021, the last year considered in this study, would have been 10 years old when the vaccine was first introduced.
The research team analyzed cervical cancer deaths over three-year intervals. Throughout the 1990s, there were between 50 and 60 cervical cancer deaths each three-year period among women under 25. However, in the 2019-2021 timeframe, there were only 13 deaths recorded.
Despite the progress, the researchers raised concerns. The Healthy People 2030 initiative aims for an 80% HPV vaccination rate, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this year that only about 60% of 13-to-15-year-olds have received the necessary vaccine doses.
“There has been a decrease in HPV vaccinations since the COVID-19 pandemic among the latest cohort of U.S. adolescents. This is concerning as a drop in vaccination rates could hinder further improvements,” Deshmukh remarked.
