A Childhood Vaccine that Can Prevent Cancer? It's Already Here

What if there were a vaccine that could protect your child from developing different types of cancer later in life? Wouldn’t you want to make sure they get vaccinated? That vaccine already exists, says Noah Kalman, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute. And it is highly effective in preventing a variety of dangerous cancers caused by exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV).

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), HPVs are called papillomaviruses because some HPV subtypes (there are dozens of different ones) cause papillomas, which are warts and are not cancer. Other subtypes do cause cancer, however. “Some of those, the ACS says, include “cancers of the cervix (the base of the womb at the top of the vagina), vagina, vulva (the area around the outside of the vagina), penis, anus, and parts of the mouth and throat.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly 42 million people in the United States are currently infected with HPV. About 13 million more people, including teenagers and adults, are diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

When to get the HPV vaccine

Dr. Kalman, who specializes in the treatment of head and neck cancers, among others, says that HPV is often spread through intimate contact/sexual activity. “Roughly 80 percent of people in the U.S. have been exposed to at least one HPV subtype by the time they are 45 years old,” says Dr. Kalman. “Patients clear the infections, but the virus can alter infected cells so that these cells create a cancer years later.”

Noah Kalman, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute

Given the prevalence of HPV infection, exposure can happen in multiple ways - sexual transmission alone is not the whole story. While coital and oral sex are common modes of transmission, vertical transmission from infected mother to baby during childbirth contributes, as can deep kissing.

Because the virus is known to spread through sexual activity, Dr. Kalman says it is essential to get your child vaccinated “before they start making out.” Current versions of the HPV vaccine, which was first introduced in 2006, are approved for children starting at age 9. It is also now available for men and women up to age 45.

“For children, teens and young adults aged 9 to 26, don’t wait – just get it,” Dr. Kalman recommends. “It’s really important to get your child vaccinated before they’re exposed. Once you get vaccinated, you’re protected afterwards. However, if you’ve already been exposed to a certain HPV virus subtype, getting the vaccine afterwards won’t protect you.”

Current vaccines are administered in two separate doses six months apart and guard against infection from nine different HPV subtypes, including those that cause cervical cancer and head and neck cancers, Dr. Kalman says. “If you wait until your child is 15 or older, they may likely need three separate doses.”

Can the HPV vaccine prevent cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is a completely preventable disease, says John Paul Diaz, M.D., chief of gynecologic oncology at Miami Cancer Institute. “It’s one of the few cancers we can eradicate,” he says, adding that the HPV virus is one of the greatest risk factors for cervical cancer, causing an estimated 93 percent of all cervical cancers diagnosed in the U.S.

John Paul Diaz, M.D., chief of gynecologic oncology at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute

“The introduction of the HPV vaccine has led to a steady decrease in early-stage cervical cancer over the past 18 years,” Dr. Diaz says. “With the screening programs available to women today – utilizing Pap smears and HPV testing in combination with the HPV vaccine – we should be able to completely eliminate this disease here in the United States.”

Who should get the HPV vaccine

According to Dr. Kalman, when the first HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006, “it was all about helping women and preventing cervical cancer.” He says this helped foster the perception in the years since that HPV vaccines are just for girls.

Now, however, the HPV vaccine guards against other types of cancer as well, especially head and neck cancers such as tonsil or tongue base cancer. Dr. Kalman says these types of cancers overwhelmingly affect males and that rates of HPV related head and neck cancers are growing faster than cervical cancer rates.

“Men account for 80 percent of HPV-related head and neck cancers being diagnosed today, underscoring the importance of boys getting vaccinated as well as girls,” says Dr. Kalman. “You can’t say, ‘My son doesn’t need it – it’s just for cervical cancer,’ because that’s just not true.”

Dr. Kalman adds that the lack of effective screening programs for head and neck cancer makes it more challenging to diagnose and treat. “Unlike cervical cancer, we don’t have great screenings for head and neck cancers, unfortunately,” he says. “Yes, there are treatments for these cancers that work very well, but they still come with substantial side effects. It’s far better never to get HPV in the first place. That’s why prevention is so important.”

HPV vaccine is no substitute for regular cancer screenings

What if your child is heading off to college and has already had sex? Is it too late for them to get the HPV vaccine? Dr. Kalman says they should still get vaccinated, even if they may have already been exposed to the virus.

“There are over 100 different HPV subtypes and only a small number of them can cause cancer,” Dr. Kalman points out. “It’s possible your child was exposed only to one of the strains, so the vaccine would still be effective against any future strains they may encounter.”

He stresses that getting the HPV vaccine is no substitute for regular cancer screenings. “For women, the US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend HPV testing with their pap smear. If your smear is normal and you show no higher-risk HPV subtypes, then you can increase the interval between your screenings,” he says.

Dr. Kalman shares Dr. Diaz’s view that cervical cancer is completely preventable, as are certain other HPV-related cancers. He hopes that everyone with children talks to their pediatrician about HPV and the vaccine. “When I’m in the twilight of my career, nothing would make me happier than to be treating fewer of these patients.”