FDA approves Gardasil for anal cancer
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the Gardasil vaccine for prevention of anal cancer. This is aside from the vaccine’s previous approval for prevention of cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers brought about by HPV (human papillomavirus) in females aged 9 to 26.
The HPV has been the culprit for almost 90 percent cases of anal cancer, the type of cancer where tissues proliferate in the anus as such is the case of Farrah Fawcett. This was data relayed by the Food and Drug Administration as published in an article of the Wall Street Journal. And although it is rare, it must be noted that it is deadly.
For the year 2010 alone, 720 people won’t survive from the estimated 5,620 new cases diagnosed – 2,000 of which will occur in men, while 3,620 in women. This would mostly affect those aged 45 and older, of which the average age of diagnosis is at 60. This is according to the National Cancer Institute.
Of the various types of sexually transmitted infection, HPV is considered to be the most common type. The sad thing is those infected aren’t even aware that they have it. Almost more than 40 different types of HPV are known to people. These types are said to infect the mouth, genital area and throat for the males and females.It is said that Gardasil is the only vaccine for HPV that helps in protecting people against 4 types of HPV. The Merck website states that Gardasil protects females aged 9 to 26 from two type of HPV that result to 75 percent of cervical cancer cases. In addition, females are protected from two other types that cause 90 percent of genital warts. In males, Gardasil is known to protect against 90 percent of genital warts cases