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Cervical Cancer Vaccine Study
Reported by JoAnne Purtan
Web produced by Kelly Reynolds

	The vaccine protects against HPV 16, a sexually transmitted disease that is responsible for half of all cervical cancer cases. Video

There's huge news that could someday mean the end of cervical cancer. It's a disease that kills 5,000 American women every year.

Beth Kulie knows the ravages of cervical cancer, it means she can't have children.

"I went through a radical hysterectomy where they remove your uterus, part of your cervix and a third of your vagina," Beth said.

Beth speaks about the disease to high school students.

In most cases, cervical cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus, or HPV. It's a sexually transmitted disease, and it's estimated as many as 70 percent of sexually active women carry the virus. One form of it, HPV 16, is responsible for half of all cervical cancer cases.

But a vaccine to protect against HPV 16 was just studied and the results in this week's New England Journal of Medicine are remarkable.

"In women who received the active vaccine, they were essentially 100 percent protected from developing HPV 16 infections over the course of the study period," explained Dr. Gene McNeeley.

Dr. McNeeley is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Wayne State University.

"This news is how big?" Health Reporter JoAnne Purtan asked Dr. McNeeley.

"Globally, it's tremendous."

There are other strains of HPV that put women at higher risk for cervical cancer and some that cause genital warts.

At Wayne State University, researchers are studying another vaccine they hope will protect women against 4 strains of the HPV virus.

Early results with the vaccine are promising. Dr. McNeeley is looking for women between the ages of 16 and 23 for the study. Danielle Farnstrom has enrolled and will get three injections of either the vaccine or a placebo for 6 months.

"Whenever there's prevention for some kind of disease, they try it out on somebody, so that's good if I'm involved in this one," Danielle said.

"It could actually become a routine vaccine with informed consent for young women as they get older and are considering becoming sexually active," said Dr. McNeeley.

The ultimate goal, to spare the women the pain of a cancer that changes lives forever.

Wayne State is looking for women between the ages of 16 and 23 to take part in the study. You can call (313) 745-7156 for more information.

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