One step closer in preventing premature death

What else would you think when i mention these words other than Cervical cancer Vaccination. Indeed man has come a long way in studying this deadly disease which previously one has no control of. Since 400BC, the father of modern medicine, a Greek Physician as well as a sophist, Hippocrates, had described in his writings about cervical cancer patient with impending death. Later German Gynaecologist who invented the colposcope to identify early precancerous lesion on the cervix. in 1925.
Dr Hans Hinselmann- inventor of the colposcopy machine to detect early precancerous lesion of cervical cancer.

The colposcope

Three years later a Greek Physician, Georgios Papanikolaou, a pioneer in cytology in early detection of cancer developed the Pap Smear.
In `1974, A German virologist, Dr, Harald zur Hausen was studying and did research on Carcinoma of Cervix,has found Human Pappilloma Virus DNA in cervical cancer cells, and for this great discovery, he attributed HPV virus as a major causative factor in the development of cervical cancer.
For his discovery, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 2008.

Dr Harald zur Hausen
winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his discovery in Human Papilloma virus as the causative agent.

In 2007, the first ever vaccine against Cervical cancer, Gardasil, which gives protection not only cancer but prevention of genital wards. However cost is a real factor on why it didn't get much response from the community.

GARDASIL
When it was initially introduced, naturally due to its cost (as being the first anti cancer drugs) It boast to be a tetravalent vaccine, since it covers serotype 18 and serotype 16, then the other 2 that contribute to genital warts.

GSK, a giant pharmaceutical company that produce Cervarix came into the market in the mid 2008.
Being bivalent vaccine that provides 100% protection against HPV16 and HPV 18, with some cross protection with serotype 31 and 45.
However, the latest data indicated that Cervarix give 100% protection against HPV 16,HPV18,HPV31, and HPV 45. So, my friends! Cervarix has become a tetravalent vaccine now.

Data has shown that due to the added ingredient ASO4, its like a turbocharger in production and sustaining high level of antibody for a long duration.. at least from calculated formula, it would last at least 20 years.
Based on the head to head studies, Cervarix has been proven to be far more superior than Gardasil.
So, what are you waiting for?

For those who had this injection, the next challenge is to get and encourage women to step forward for your annual pap smear. Again and again, I would emphasize, cervical cancer is currently ranked number 2 killer among all cancers affecting women. Science and medicine has come a long way, and with this vaccine,it has taken a quantum leap in its progress, and marks a milestone in the history of mankind by making it the first step in preventing cancer.

2nd Cervical Cancer prevention symposium

I received an invitation to attend another symposium on Cervarix, which is on 29 July held at Le Meridien Hotel. The presenter was  Professor Peter Leslie Stern, who is a Head of Cancer Research UK, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester Based at the Christie Hospital.
He will speak on "Targeting a challenging virus." It should be an interesting talk judging from the Curriculum vitae.
I have prepared a list of questions which i m eager to ask.
The second speaker was Dr Goh Choo Beng, who graduated from the medical faculty of the National University of Singapore in 1994. He obtained his specialization training in Radiology Oncology at the Singapore General Hospital, and National Cancer Centre Singapore. His resume is impression and i can't type them all here.........I'll go straight to the point. He joined GSK in May 2007 as part of the Asia Pacific HPV vaccine Medical Affairs/Clinical R&D team and presently manages the medical affairs for the GSK adult and adolescent vaccine franchise in Asia Pacific.
As before, I think I'll skip the dinner and head for home just right after the Q & A sessions.
I hope I will enjoy this talk as much as did on the first one.