New vaccines to prevent cervical cancer

A Web-based news conference

On Tuesday, May 23, from 1 to 2 pm EDT, the National Network for Immunization Information and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will co-host a telebriefing about genital human papillomavirus infections and the HPV vaccines, expected to be approved by the FDA soon. Certain HPVs cause cervical as well as other cancers. Reporters may participate in the teleconference from their office or home computers and either email or phone their questions to experts. Experts on all aspects of the vaccine, including one of the inventors, will be available for Q&A.

The American Cancer Society predicts that about 9,710 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will occur in the United States in 2006 and calculate that about 3,700 women will die from this disease this year. Globally, HPV causes about 470,000 cases of cervical cancer per year, according to the World Health Organization.

Many adolescents, adults and health care providers have a limited understanding of HPV infections, particularly those that are sexually transmitted. Individuals must understand these issues to make informed decisions about the new vaccines. The media will play an exceptionally important role in the public's understanding of the issues surrounding HPV and the vaccines.

WHAT:Online telebriefing about HPV and HPV vaccines. Experts will talk about the epidemiology and risk factors of HPV infections, the relationship of HPV to cervical cancer, and why the vaccine - which prevents a sexually transmitted disease - will be targeted to preteens as well as to adolescents and young adults.

WHEN:Tuesday, May 23, 2006; 1-2 p.m. EDT

WHO:Experts will make brief presentations and then answer questions.

• Martin G. Myers, M.D., is director of the National Network for Immunization Information, which is dedicated to providing science-based immunization information to parents, health professionals and the media. Dr. Myers is also professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine and community health at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the associate director for Public Health Policy and Education of UTMB's Sealy Center for Vaccine Development.
• Jessica A. Kahn, M.D., MPH, is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Kahn's research focuses on HPV infections and prevention in adolescents. She is conducting research that examines risk factors for HPV infection in young women, the role of HPV testing in cervical cancer screening programs and the feasibility of self-testing for HPV. Dr. Kahn has been involved in studies of HPV vaccines and is conducting studies of health care providers to examine their attitudes about vaccines for HPV and other sexually transmitted infections.
• Kevin A. Ault, M.D., is an associate professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Prior to his initial appointment at Emory in 2005, Dr. Ault was on the faculty at the Carver College of Medicine and the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. For most of the past decade, Dr. Ault has been a clinical investigator on vaccines to prevent HPV infections.
• John Schiller, Ph.D., conducts basic science research on HPV and is one of the inventors of the HPV vaccine. Dr. Schiller is chief of the Neoplastic Disease Section of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, of the National Cancer Institute lab.

HOW: Reporters are invited to view the live streaming sound and video of the presentations at http://libvid.utmb.edu and call in questions at (800) 214-0745 or toll (719) 457-0700. Passcode is 318384. Reporters may also email questions to nnii@i4ph.org.

FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS:

Those interested in scheduling follow up interviews with teleconference participants or other vaccine experts should contact:

Diana Olson
Director of Communications
Infectious Diseases Society of America
66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 600
Alexandria, VA 22314
P: (703) 299-0201
F: (703) 299-0204
M: (202) 320-8626
dolson@idsociety.org
www.idsociety.org

More information about HPV can be found at http://www.immunizationinfo.org/hpv.cfm.

The National Network for Immunization Information (NNii) provides up-to-date, science-based information about immunizations to health professionals, the public, policymakers, and the media. NNii is based at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and is also affiliated with the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Nurses Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

The University of Texas Medical Branch
Public Affairs Office
301 University Boulevard, Suite 3.102
Galveston, Texas 77555-0144
www.utmb.edu

Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Feb 2009
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