It’s called the Quest study. It’s a nationwide analysis of the HPV vaccine programme for girls.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is now known to cause cervical cancer (cancer at the opening to the uterus). The vaccine prevents girls from getting HPV disease and therefore prevents them from getting cervical cancer.
It is also now being offered to boys in some provinces to prevent the spread of HPV, and reduce the risk of genital warts and anal and penile cancers.
The new national long-term study is to determine if a two-dose programme is just as effective as the the three-dose programme. The programme is to study girls in 5 provinces, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Dr Jim Kellner, lead investigator in Alberta, says if the two-dose vaccination is found to be just as effective as the three dose programme, the two-dose programme could be standardized across the country. He notes that a two-dose programme, if equally effective, would result in substantial savings, and the probability of a higher compliance rate.
The study hopes to have the participation of over 8,000 girls. So far about 900 have signed up.
In Canada, just under 1,500 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and just over 500 women die from the disease annually.
A study conducted in 2011 also suggested HPV-positive tumours account for a majority of oropharyngeal cancer cases in the upper throat in both males and females.
Famed American actor Michael Douglas raised awareness of the issue when he said his oral cancer was caused by the virus.
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