HPV vaccine: the key to eliminating cervical cancer inequities
Menée à partir des données 2006-2020 utilisées pour mesurer l'efficacité du programme anglais de vaccination contre le papillomavirus humain (HPV), cette étude analyse l'incidence du cancer du col de l'utérus et des néoplasies intraépithéliales cervicales de grade 3 (CIN3) au cours d'une année supplémentaire de suivi et en fonction du statut socio-économique
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects individuals from HPV strains that cause cancer. Evidence of its effectiveness in eliminating invasive cervical cancers is growing.1234 In a linked paper, Falcaro and colleagues (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077341) provide further evidence for the impact of HPV vaccination in eliminating invasive cancers.5 They also answered the vexed question of whether national HPV vaccination programmes magnify or narrow cervical cancer inequities. Women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds share a disproportionately greater burden of cervical cancer incidence and mortality.6 Notably, socioeconomic inequities in cervical cancer are reported across high, middle, and low income countries.789 Falcaro and colleagues’ findings underscore the importance of the HPV vaccine as an effective tool for reducing inequalities in cervical cancer, making a clear case for equitable access to the vaccine.