(November 5, 2009 - Insidermedicine)

An experimental new vaccine is showing promise among women with precancerous lesions on their genitalia that are related to infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV)-16. The results are published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here is some information about HPV:

•    It is the most common type of sexually-transmitted infection

•    There are more than 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital areas of men and women

•    Certain types of HPV can cause genital warts as well as certain cancers, including cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, and penis

Researchers from Leiden University Medical Center gave three or four injections of an experimental vaccine that targets the HPV-16 virus to 20 women who were already infected with this virus and who had developed precancerous lesions on their vulva as a result.

After three months, 60% of the women had responded to the vaccine had reported relief from their symptoms, with five women having their precancerous lesions disappear completely. Among 19 of the 20 women who were followed-up for a year, 79% responded to the vaccine, and nearly half saw their lesions disappear and remain undetectable for another year. The more the body mounted an immunological response to the HPV-16 virus as a result of the vaccine, the more likely they were to see their lesions diminish or disappear.

Today’s research demonstrates the effectiveness of an experimental new vaccine against genital cancers and helps solidify the link between such cancers and HPV-16.