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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer Prevention > Cancer Prevention: Cervical Cancer Vaccines

Cancer Prevention: Cervical Cancer Vaccines

The development of vaccines against HPV is a major step in the fight against cervical cancer.

Currently, there are two vaccines approved for the prevention of infection with HPV, Gardasil® and Cervarix®.

Gardasil® is FDA approved for the prevention of HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 infection in young women aged 9-26. On October 16, 2009, the FDA also approved Gardasil® to prevent genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11 in young men aged 9-26.⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

Cervarix® also prevents infection by HPV 16 and 18. Cervarix® was approved for use in the United States in October 2009.⁽³⁾

Importantly, the vaccinations are prophylactic  and are not effective against the progression of pre-existing HPV infection or cervical dysplasia, and should not deter women from annual screening tests, especially since not all cancer causing (oncogenic) forms of HPV are included in the vaccines.⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾

For more on Gardasil® and Cervarix® see the next two pages.

Watch the video to learn more about  HPV vaccines. Click here to watch the full interview with Dr. Ira Horowitz.

References for this page:

1. Markowitz LE, Dunne EF, Saraiya M, Lawson HW, Chesson H, Unger ER; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2007 Mar 23;56(RR-2):1-24. [PUBMED]
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. News Release: FDA Approves New Indication for Gardasil to Prevent Genital Warts in Men and Boys. October 16, 2009. [http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm187003.htm]
3. Food and Drug and Administration Vaccines, Blood, & Biologics Accessed October 21st, 2009 [http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm186991.htm]
4. Gardasil® Website Registered by Merck & Co., Inc. Site accessed 12/04/07 [http://www.gardasil.com/index.html]