According to the Barbados Government Website the incidence of cervical cancer in the Caribbean is increasing at a rate of 33 new cases annually. It seems that this is a very unflattering statistic which is four or five times higher than that of North America. Last year Dr Eltora Bennett, an obstetrician and gynaecologist reported that the cases of cervical cancer were not declining. She urged the women to engage in early screening, what is commonly referred to as the getting a ‘pap smear’ to protect against cervical cancer.
Bennett explained that despite the easy access to pap smears “we have been seeing about 30 cases of cancer of the cervix per year and that has been constant now” for more than a decade. Cancer of the cervix is a sexually transmitted disease linked to the human papilloma virus (HPV) but early detection through screening can lead to effective treatment. HPV can infect the genital area of men and women, including the skin of the penis, the area outside the vagina in women or the rectum. The incidence of the disease is unacceptably high in Barbados and that’s a fact, she said.
Source: Nation Newspaper
Dr. Bennett went on to explain in the October 2007 Nation Newspaper report that Barbados was moving ahead with the introduction of the Merck Pharmaceutical vaccine Gardisil. According to Dr. Bennet “arcisil prevents the development of the precursors to cervical cancer. In other words, it prevents women from developing cervical cancer. It immunises her against the human papiloma virus,” BU checked with a few local pharmacies and verified that the vaccine Gardasil is currently not available – Please note the spelling of the vaccine by the Nation Newspaper is incorrect!
In light of the above we found a recent story submitted by BU family member Carson Cadogan worthy of highlight. We hope the BU family will investigate and share feedback because the scourge of cervical cancer must be tackled through education. The substance of the story which was published in the prestigious New England Journal suggest the following:
- First, Gardasil’s long-term effectiveness is unclear. Because cervical cancer takes years to develop, critics say the current information is insufficient to determine whether Gardasil works. Bottom of Form “The overall effect of the vaccines on cervical cancer remains unknown,” Dr. Carolyn J. Haug, the Journal of Norwegian Medical Association’s editor, wrote in the New England Journal editorial. “The real impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer will not be observable for decades.”
- Gardasil is also expensive, costing about $400 to $1,000 for the necessary three doses of the vaccine. Studies have not proven how long the immunity will last and whether or not additional shots will be needed, which would raise the cost even higher.
- And it’s not a slam dunk. The vaccine only protects against some of the viruses that cause cervical cancer, so women still need regular pap.
Source: ABC News
The BU family has discussed a similar issue before regarding how unsuspecting patients can protect themselves from less than state of the art drugs. Is the vaccine Gardasil another one of those drugs which flatters to deceive?
Related Link
Barbadians Should Be Vigilant When Filling Prescription Drugs
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