Preventing Cancer with Two Injections, A Clinical Review of the HPV Vaccination

Abstract

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has become a major public health concern in the United States. HPV has high subclinical infection rates and is a major cause of preventable cancers (cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and oropharyngeal).^1,2 Despite availability of an effective vaccine against several common and carcinogenic strains of HPV, it remains the most common STI.² Gardasil 9 is a widely available vaccine that protects against nine strains of HPV. Seven of those strains are known to cause a wide range of cancer, and the other two strains are the most common cause of condylomas (genital warts).³ Yet, patients are not completing this vaccination series. There are a constellation of reasons for this, including failure of the provider to offer it to patients and patient refusal.⁴ Either way this easy public health intervention is significantly underutilized. This review explores the infection process of HPV; its link to cancer; a comparison of vaccines offered in the past, such as Cervarix and Gardasil 4, compared to the currently offered Gardasil 9; and finally, an exploration of the beliefs and views around vaccination of the STI and cancer by looking at patient/physician stances against the vaccine tied with the ways to help patient compliance.