Cervical cancer could be effectively eliminated in Australia within the next four decades, medical experts say, after new data revealed infection rates had plummeted to just 1 per cent in young women. Research published by the International Papillomavirus Society, lead by doctors in Melbourne, showed a dramatic decline in the rate of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in women aged up to 24.
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Researchers said the decline was due to the roll-out of the national immunisation program for boys and girls, which began in 2007. Professor Suzanne Garland, the director of the Centre for Women’s Infectious Diseases at the Royal Women’s Hospital, said she expected the number of cases each year would drop from about 1,000, to just a few, thanks to the vaccination and the new DNA screening test.
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Cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection, which can lead to the growth of abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix. About eight in 10 women are infected with HPV at some point in their lives, but most will not go on to develop cancer.
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An improved version of the Gardasil vaccine will be available to all 12 and 13-year-olds across the country this year, while a new screening program launched in December is expected to make it easier to detect woman at risk.
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