Nov 6, 2008 11:12 pm US/Eastern
Why Doctors Want Boys To Get Gardasil Shot
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Gardasil is the first vaccine ever developed to prevent a cancer. By blocking the transmission of a sexually transmitted virus, the vaccine is able to prevent most cases of cervical cancer.
It's a breakthrough for women's health, but some doctors believe the vaccine shouldn't be limited to just girls.
The vast majority of cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papillomavirus. It's so ubiquitous that most sexually active people will contract it at some point in their lives.
Most will never develop any symptoms and won't even know they have it.
For people like Salem musician Christine Baze, it can be devastating. She was just 31 when she was diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer.
"It flipped my world upside down in an instant," she said.
Christine's oncologist, Dr. John Schorge of Massachusetts General Hospital, says the virus is to blame for her cancer.
"Had she been vaccinated at age nine or 10, then likely she would never have developed this life threatening cancer," he said.
Gardasil wasn't around for Christine, but now it's protecting millions of girls every year. Doctors believe the girls would be even more protected if the vaccine was given to everyone.
"Girls, by and large, get HPV from boys," explained Dr. Mark Goldstein, a specialist in adolescent medicine at Mass General.
Right now, Gardasil is only approved for girls, but it is being tested in boys. But even if it's approved, it could be a tough sell for many parents.
"I don't trust it," said Alaina McCoulough, a mother of two young boys from Quincy. "I hate to give them a vaccine when a vaccine is not completely, 100 percent necessary for their health."
Like any vaccine, Gardasil comes with some risk. After Shannon Nelson was vaccinated, she suffered debilitating muscle weakness.
"I was in the hospital for 23 days," she said.
Doctors can't be sure it was the Gardasil, but Shannon and her parents are convinced.
"I tell everyone not to get it," she said.
While these stories are rare, they can make parents fearful and critics of the vaccine argue a pap smear should be enough to protect women. But it wasn't enough to protect Christine. She went in for a yearly pap, but the test never turned up anything abnormal even though there was a deadly cancer growing in her cervix. Abnormal paps are common and often lead to more invasive procedures to rule out serious disease.
The tests are most often negative, but they can cause fertility problems.
Dr. Goldstein says some women have trouble getting pregnant and others have trouble carrying the baby because the cervix is compromised.
These complications are not enough to convince Alaina that vaccinating her sons is a good idea.
"It's just not a risk I'm willing to take," she said.
Dr. Goldstein says since boys are a part of the problem they should be part of the solution.
"They certainly have a responsibility for contraception, so I do think they have a responsibility in the prevention of HPV infection in females," he said.
Gardasil costs about $300, so Christine and her Doctor believe it's most important to use all available resources to vaccinate girls first.
We'll keep you posted on the testing and possible approval process for the use of Gardasil in boys.
Learn more about Gardasil, cervical cancer and HPV:
Cervical Cancer Prevention: The Yellow Umbrella
HPV & Cancer How HPV Is Transmitted
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