Vaccinating Boys Against HPV May Reduce Cancer Rates, Research Suggests

Vaccinating boys against human papillomavirus (HPV) may cut rates of men with cancers related to the virus in the long term, new research suggests.

A two-year study of 235 patients in Scotland with head and neck cancer found HPV in 60% of cases. HPV is a sexually-transmitted infection with some types linked to cancer, particularly cervical cancer in women – and also cancer of the head and neck.

Rates of head and neck cancer have risen in the past 25 years, particularly among men, said Kevin Pollock of Glasgow Caledonian University, co-author of the research which is published in the Royal College of Radiologists’ journal Clinical Oncology. In 1994, there were 100 cases in Scotland, but by 2015 this had more than tripled to 350. 

Dr Pollock said: “Some of the reasons for this increase are due to alcohol and smoking, but we think the proportion of HPV-related head and neck cancers are increasing. This might be due to a change in sexual behaviours.”

The findings follow a report in April from Dr Pollock and academics from Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Edinburgh universities, which suggested routine vaccination of schoolgirls in Scotland with HPV has led to a dramatic reduction in cervical disease in later life

Since a UK-wide immunisation scheme for girls aged 12 and 13 was introduced a decade ago, researchers found a reduction of up to 90% of instances of pre-cancerous cells being discovered at smear tests aged 20.