New Cure For Cancer ???

[Rupert Da Fridge]

In the next few weeks every girl aged 12 to 13 in Britain will be offered a vaccination to help protect her against cervical cancer. It's the first time a jab has been developed that can prevent a cancer. This vaccine works by stopping women contracting the virus that causes cervical cancer. But while some hail it as a medical breakthrough, it has provoked controversy.

Will it work, is it necessary - and is it safe?

Having a daughter poses a bit of a dilema, but what choice? Do you really have a choice?

[RobDickinson]

This is old news shirly? Its a must get done thing IMO.

[Rupert Da Fridge]

Only read it today whilst browing the T'internet, not sure of it's birth date, nonetheless I ain't been contacted about it yet!

[hairykrishna]

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page... is a good info page.

Why are you concerned? I haven't seen anything that would suggest that there is a significant risk involved.

[speedy_thrills]

*Taps away at his calcultor for a moment*

So that's 2100 (3000*.7) less women with cancer per year. Fair play I suppose .

[drivin_me_nuts]

Every vacine, every drug, every treatment and theraputic process has a risk of some kind. Medical trials to the best of their ability (and assuming that the results have been posted, both good and bad) can only go so far as saying in group size X we have Z number of side effects or symptoms etc. That's all the manufacturers and the trials can tell you.

As a parent all you can do is act under your best intentions and with your childs best interests at heart. As a parent no one should tell you what to do, all I suggest is that you read up more on the subject - until you are sure that what ever the outcome you were confident that on the day you agreed to her taking it and to the best of your knowledge it was the right thing to do.

Best wishes

[twistedsanity]

i wonder if it is as safe as thalidomyde?

[siscar]

twistedsanity said:

i wonder if it is as safe as thalidomyde?

Bearing in mind all the progress in the development and testing of drugs in the past 50 years the answer to that one is that it is much safer. The unknown risks today centre more on long term effects - will something done age 12 have a bad effect when aged 50, that's the stuff that can't be tested.

[anonymous-user]

firstly this is a vaccination and not a drug (chemical compound).

secondingly the testing of drugs has progressed massively, there is no chance of a disaster of the same sort as the thalidomide one recurring again anyway.

so yes, its much safer than thalidomide.

[stackmonkey]

It's a must do, but they should give the vaccine to boys as well.
The cancer in question (and others) is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) of which there are some 200+ variants, about 10% of which give a disposition to different cancers (IIRC). This is the same virus that causes warts (wherever on your body they are).

I know a number of people that have had operations to remove pre-cancerous/cancerous cells as a result of HPV, so if the vaccine saves even a small number of lives, it is worth it.