(NEWSnet/AP) — New research suggests the HPV vaccine is preventing cancer in men as well as in women.
A vaccine against human papillomavirus was developed to prevent cervical cancer in women. Experts give it credit, along with screening, for reducing the rate of cervical cancer.
Evidence that it prevents HPV-related cancer in men had not emerged, but the latest research suggests vaccinated men have fewer cases of cancer of the mouth and throat compared to those who don’t receive the shots.
Those types of cancer are more than twice as common in men than in women.
For the study, researchers compared 3.4 million people of similar ages, half vaccinated and half unvaccinated, in a large dataset.
Vaccinated women had a lower risk of developing cervical cancer within five years of receiving a shot. Vaccinated men had a lower risk of developing any HPV-related cancer.
There were 57 HPV-related cancer cases among the unvaccinated men compared to 26 among the men who had the HPV vaccine.
Results of the study were released May 23 by American Society of Clinical Oncology and will be discussed in June at its annual meeting in Chicago.
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