Igniitili the mountains I NOVEMBER 2006 l MOUNTAINPRIDEMEDIAORG HEALTH ‘ MATTERS . wMMM/MMMMMMMMMMMW cine: Is the Hype? l av RENEE LANG, ND omrnercials discussing HPV (Human Papilloma- 6 virus) and cervical cancer began airing on TV a few weeks ago. The commercials began after FDA approval of a new HPV vac- cine made by Merck and Glaxo- SmithKline. The commercial claims that the vaccine protects against HPV strains that cause cer- vical cancer, implying that the vac- . cine prevents cervical cancer. The commercial also provided some useful information about HPV and its link to cervical cancer. Currently, much of our health education comes courtesy of ‘ drug companies with a financial interest in the condition at hand. Ideally, health education would be administered by unbiased sources, including healthcare pro- viders, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the school sys- tems. Unfortunately, health edu- cation in this country is abysmal. Strains of HPV associated ' with cervical cancer are sexually transmitted. Use of condoms is mildly to moderately effec- tive in preventing its spread. HPV, a group of viruses con- taining over 100 different strains, causes warts on the body. HPV strains cause both genital warts and general body warts, often ~>appe_aring on the hands and feet. HPV requires skin-to-skin contact to spread. Over 30 of the 100 strains spread via sexual contact. Two strains, HPV16 and HPV18, cause 60 percent and 10 percent of cervical cancers respectively. ' The vaccines focus on preventing PHOTO PROVIDED suusuiére wasa 40 percent drop in low-grade changes as a result of the vaccine. In many women, the low-grade changes Renee Lang, N.D. clear up without treatment. The current studies show no ef- ficacy in preventing cancer at this point The longest study has been 4.5 years, not nearly long enough to prove or disprove cancer prevention _ ' The majority of cervical can- cer cases occur in women aged 35 to 50. Participants in the study V ranged in age from 16 to 25. The only definitive way to know if the vaccine prevents cancer is to conduct a long-term study. Women already infected with HPV16 or HPV18 were excluded from the studies. The studies do not show protection for women already infected with HPV. About 20 million people have an HPV infection at any given time and over 6 million new cases occur each year, Fifty percent of men and women contract an HPV - infection at some point in their The best tool for prevent- . ing cervical cancer is the Pap smear. Cervical cancer rates have dropped by 40 percent since 1973, due to the introduc— ‘' tion of accessible Pap smears, _‘ including those provided by Vermont’s Ladies First program.__ 3 Cervical cancer rates continue to drop by about four percent each year. Pap smears arestill required, even with vaccination‘- Is there a danger in getting -- the vaccine? No long-term data exists for the safety of the vaccine. How- ever, reactions to the vaccine were negligible in the studies. The vaccine contains micro- amounts of the metal aluminum. Otherwise, the biggest danger is a false sense of security. Even though most women do not like getting a Pap smear, re- ceiving regular Paps continues to be necessary for cervical cancer prevention. I am concerned that vaccinated girls will think that they don’t have to have a Pap smear done regularly because they are protected by the vaccine. Finally, cancer is not purely a" physical or infectious prob- lem. The development of cancer depends on multiple factors, including immune system health, inflammation, mental and emo- tional factors, stress, diet, and lifestyle. Though not entirely understood, it is likely that many women are unable to clear HPV from their bodies due to de- creased The decreased immunity may be due to stress, unresolved emotional issues, - the entire focus on the physical virus blinds people to the other necessary changes they need -— to make to prevent all cancer. Preven'l:ior'f~as cure All geriital-tcrégeriital contact can spread the virus. It hangs out in the genital "area and just needs skin Contact to spread. Limiting sexual partners decreases risk of contraction" - i.e., no "more than two partners in one’s lifetime. 3 Mostpeople have more than two partners ir1 their lifetime, and so it becomes less of a realistic factor. The type of contact - any geni- tal-to-genital contact, including anal - can spread the virus. Oral sex may be less likely to spread HPV, and lesbians may be less likely to spread it directly to each other. There isn’t much data specific to lesbian contact, though based on route of trans- mission, it's likely a decreased risk. Gay males spread it via genital and anal contact, but they don’t get cervical cancer. The best thing a woman can do is to use condoms or dams with all partners, manage stress to keep immunity elevated, and get regular Pap smears. True prevention of illness requires a m11lti-faceted ap- proach. Cancer prevention in general requires _a healthy diet, adequate sleep, proper stress management, smoking cessa- tion, exercise, and a healthy mental and emotional state. Dietary suggestions include eating at least two servings of dark green-leafy vegetables daily, eating a variety of fruits and reds, purples to maximize nutri- ent content), drinking at least 64 ounces of good water daily, and limiting coffee, sugar, simple car- bohydrates, and deep fried foods. Lifestyle suggestions involve getting 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep per night. If your sleep is not restful, you are not restoring your body. Decrease stress and/or develop good management techniques. Exercise at least 5 times per week, combining light aerobic movement (walking, swimming), stretching (yoga, tai chi), and some weights (use ankle weights while walking). If you smoke, quit! Smoking is a major health benefit risk factor for most cancers - not just lung cancer. Pay attention to mental and emotional factors. The major- ity of women diagnosed with breast cancer have experienced a traumatic event in their life in the previous five years. Ad- dressing and healing the trauma is crucial in both cancer pre- . vention and cancer care. The HPV vaccine has not been shown to prevent cervical cancer. Pap smears remain a necessity in the prevention of cervical cancer. Get your Pap smear regularly at the appropri- ate interval determined by your health history. Check with your doctor for more information. Contact the Ladies First program in Vermont for Pap smear cover- age if you cannot afford the test.V Renee Lang, ND, can be reached at The Healing Way Clinic in Brattleboro, or by email at dr.rlang@ 3 infection by these two strains. life. Eighty percent of 50-year-old poor diet, poor sleeping habits, vegetables each day (make your th h I. t . I reviewed three published women have had an infection. and drugs or medications. To put day colorful- oranges, yellows, 6 ea In-gwayfie ' studies, funded ir1 part by the two producers of the vaccines, Merck and GlaxoSmitl1K1ine. The results of these studies show that the vaccines effectively ‘ decrease incidence of HPV16 :‘ 7 ‘_;__infection_ including persistent HPV16 infection. Persistent HPV16 infection has been linked to cervical cancer development. The studies do not conclusively illustrate efficacy of the vac- cine against HPV18 infections. The longest study tracked both infections and incidences of precancerous cervical changes over 4.5 years. The vaccine showed about a 95 percent ef- ficacy in preventing low-grade changes due to HPV16 and HPV18. However, the efficacy dropped to about 40 percent in preventing row-grade changes due to any 7°’ reason. This distinction matters because in any given person, the specific HPV strain caus- A ing changes does not matter as much as the changes themselves. woodwork & flooring. private fenced yard. $399,900 Three bedroom home in Five Sisters neighborhood. It is very well maintained with its original charming Updates include a new furnace, plumbing & most wiring. There are thermal windows, slate roof a 2—car tandem garage and a www.Bur|ington5Sisters.com Great country home with privacy galore! Upgrades everywhere from cherry kitchen cabinets, new stainless steel appliances, & granite counteriops. New carpet, painted interior & exterior in 2003. 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