The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just approved the vaccine Gardasil for use in prevention of anal cancer and related pre-cancerous states caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18 in males and females between the age of 9 to 26. Gardasil was previously approved in 2008 for use in preventing cervical and vulvar cancer in females from 9 to 26 years old. Since the same strains of HPV can cause both types of cancers, there is a rationale for using the same vaccine for prophylaxis. Anal cancer is a relatively rare cancer with approximately 5,300 newly diagnosed cases in the U.S. annually. However, the incidence is growing, with 90% of cases thought to be related to HPV. [via Medical News Today]
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