HPV vaccine may reduce risk of multiple cancers in men, new study suggests

Nearly two decades after the first HPV vaccine was launched, growing evidence shows that vaccinated people are significantly less likely to develop HPV-related cancers as adults.

HPV is a common viral infection that causes about 690,000 cases of cancer each year worldwide, according to researchers at the World Health Organization. The virus infects specific tissues, predisposing patients to develop cancers, including cervical, anal, and head and neck cancer.

First approved in 2006, the HPV vaccine was initially marketed to young women as a means of preventing cervical cancer. It has since been updated to protect against other strains of HPV and is now also recommended for boys, to reduce the risk of anal and head and neck cancer. The vaccine is currently recommended for children aged 11 or 12, unvaccinated adults up to 26 years of age, and may be recommended by clinicians up to 45 years of age.

Today, experts are seeing the first signs of cancer prevention benefits.

As of early 2024, Scotland has detected no cases of cervical cancer in patients vaccinated at age 12 or 13. The report was one of the first population-level studies of hundreds of thousands of patients vaccinated against HPV as part of a routine childhood immunization program. with a high participation rate of 80%.

The benefits extend beyond cervical cancer. For high-income countries like the United States, the incidence of head and neck cancer has since surpassed cervical cancer as the leading HPV-related cancer.

In May, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 Conference, preliminary reports showed a 56% reduction in the risk of developing HPV-associated head and neck cancer in vaccinated men.

“The results of the ASCO study are exciting in that they begin to suggest what we have all long expected, that HPV vaccination will have a marked impact on reducing the incidence of cancer in head and neck associated with HPV,” said Dr. Michelle Chen. , a head and neck cancer surgeon and assistant professor at Stanford University, who has studied HPV vaccination rates.

Based on the data, it’s likely that the full benefits of the HPV vaccine will be realized in the coming decades, said Dr. Erich Sturgis, professor in Baylor’s department of otolaryngology and head surgery. and neck, who works as a surgical oncologist and epidemiologist. on HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers.

“It will probably be a few more decades before we can really see the impact, because it’s overwhelmingly people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who are getting these cancers,” Sturgis said.

Doctors said another encouraging sign is that people are signing up to get vaccinated. “These vaccines are safe, effective and long-lasting,” Sturgis said.

A preliminary study from the 2024 ASCO conference showed that HPV vaccine adoption in the United States has gradually improved from 23.3% in 2011 to 43% in 2020.

“Overall, we are moving in the right direction with increasing rates of HPV vaccination, especially among men who have historically lagged behind women,” Chen said.

However, doctors continue to push everyone eligible to get vaccinated. The percentage of adolescents up to date with their HPV vaccination stagnated around 63% in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Overall, we are far behind the Healthy People 2030 goal of an 80% HPV vaccination rate,” Chen said.

Teenagers are a key group still lagging behind, she told ABC News. Opportunities to close the gap include “targeted community vaccination campaigns, offering HPV vaccination at the time of flu vaccination, and eliminating any financial barriers.”

There are several barriers that prevent preteens from receiving the HPV vaccine. Many parents are unaware of the benefits or cite safety concerns, doctors say. Other parents feel the vaccine is not appropriate for their children because of their perceptions or beliefs about sexual activity.

“We have an incredible opportunity to prevent cancer in the next generation through the simple process of getting two vaccines during childhood,” Sturgis said. “Missing this opportunity is a real tragedy.”

Arifeen Rahman, MD is a resident in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.