Cervical cancer breakthrough

The vaccine is a prevention, not a cure

Breakfast's main story this morning is a significant development in the fight against cervical cancer, which claims the lives of more than 1,000 women each year in Britain.

Clinical trials of a new drug, Gardasil, have shown it's highly effective in preventing the main cause of lesions on the cervix, which lead on to cancer.

They're being hailed as very encouraging by experts on cervical cancer - and doctors are hoping that they'll be the first of a number of vaccines against various cancers.

This morning, Breakfast brought you the latest on what's being described as a breakthrough.

We heard from Professor Margaret Stanley, of Cambridge University, who's an expert in HPV, the virus which causes around 70% of cervical cancers.

"This is really remarkable," Prof Stanley told us. "It's not often you get news like this: it's a stunning result."

The hope is that if teenagers are routinely vaccinated, the HPV virus will be wiped out and Cervical Cancer too will disappear.

Prof Stanley, who's not connected at all with the trials of the new drug, gave the vaccination her unequivocal backing:

"I would give this to my daughter, without a doubt," she told us.

Watch our interview in full with Prof Margaret Stanley

We talked to Dr Eliav Barr, head of clinical research at Merck. He emphasised that Gardisil is not a cure for those who already have the disease:

"This is a prevention vaccine," he told us. "It's used in women who have not been infected.

"Those who have still need monitoring with cervical smear tests."

watch our interview win full with Dr Eliav Barr

Trials

The drugs manufacturer Merck and Co has been holding clinical trials of Gardasil, involving 12,000 women aged 16 to 26.

The results show that the drug protects women against the Human Papilloma Virus, which is responsible for 70% of cervical cancers.

They're hoping it will also prevent several other viruses which cause lesions on the cervix - which may ultimately increase its effectiveness to 87%.

They're promising that a vaccine to prevent Cervical Cancer may be available within as little as a year.

The aim would be to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active, as the HPV virus is largely spread by sexual contact.

In the long run, it could spell the end of cervical smear tests, which many women find undignified and unpleasant. And, by preventing HPV infections, it could almost eradicate Cervical Cancer.