Mary-Jo Murphy, MS, RN, CDE, certified diabetes educator
  • Home
  • MJ's Bio
  • Patient Advocate for HPV related Cancers
  • Craig's Bio
  • Can't Help Myself BLOG
  • contact

AACR - HPV is Everyone's Problem

4/18/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
On April 7, 2014 I had the honor to represent the Farrah Fawcett Foundation as their patient representative at the AACR, American Association of Cancer Research Annual meeting in San Diego.

I participated in the symposia - the President’s Cancer Panel Report “Accelerating the HPV Vaccine Uptake: Urgency for Action to Prevent Cancer” – Scientific Advances to Help Achieve Policy Goals.

Nearly 1 in 4 people in the U.S. are infected with at least one strain of the human papillomavirus. HPV related head and neck cancers are on the rise. Yet, vaccines that prevent infection with the two most prevalent cancer causing types are substantially underused.

Worldwide, every year, more than 600,000 new cancer cases are caused by HPV, an infectious disease. HPV vaccines provide an effective, safe means of prevention. 

In the U.S., only one-third of adolescent girls and less than 7% of adolescent boys have received all three recommended vaccines.

The CDC estimates that increasing the HPV vaccination rates from the current levels to 80% would prevent an additional 53,000 future cervical cancer cases in the U.S. among girls who now 12 years old or younger. 

The Presidents’ Cancer Panel finds underuse of HPV vaccines a serious but correctable threat to progress against cancer.

The vaccine uptake is a function of initiation - the first dose, and completion - getting all three doses.

Missed opportunities on the part of the provider to communicate with both parents and children, both boys and girls, is the most important reason the U.S. has not achieved high rates of uptake. The committee recommended that Providers discuss the vaccine, that receiving the vaccine doses should be made more convenient and also that health care payers should reimburse for this cancer vaccine

Widespread adoption of the HPV vaccine requires comprehensive, targeted interventions aimed at providers, parents or other caregivers and at the adolescents themselves.

Later that day, the press event Stand Up To Cancer and the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, along with the AACR, SU2C’s Scientific Partner, with an additional gift from the HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation, announced the formation of a new research team dedicated to HPV – related cancer.

Ellis L. Reinherz, M.D., Ph.D, chief of the Laboratory of Immunobiology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston and Robert I. Haddad, M.D. disease center leader for head and neck oncology at Dana-Farber, received a 1.2 million dollar grant.

They will lead the research to develop new vaccines and immunotherapeutic approaches for treatment of patients with HPV-associated cancers, including head and neck, anus and cervix.

“Our project involves the development of vaccines that stimulate immune cells to attack HPV-driven cancer cells,” said Reinhertz. “While we have vaccines to prevent HPV infection from taking place, these vaccines will help attack the cancers once they have already developed.”

Alana Stewart, president of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation spoke of her friend’s struggle with anal cancer. Of the research Stewart said, “I know that Farrah would be very pleased to see this project going forward.”

My presence at both events was to give a real face to HPV related cancers and to tell my personal story.

With approximately 4 minutes for each presentation and about 10 pages of notes, I could have spoken for hours. In the end what I said came from my heart and experience and the experience of other survivors whom I’ve gotten to know. I tried to tell our story.

I didn’t need to tell the researchers that HPV related cancers are everyone's problem.

“If this could happen to me, this could happen to anyone.

"There’s this view that people with HPV associated cancer did something wrong. These cancers grow in inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing places. I call it the yuck factor. As a nurse, the body has no places like that for me. Maybe that’s why I’m alive today. I lived a life of prevention. Yet, a tumor grew. How can we pick these up earlier?”

I told those assembled for the President’s Report, that I had been a polio pioneer in the mid-50s. In those days polio was visible and scary. My parents signed me up to be part of a double-blind study to test the vaccine. Can you imagine that happening today?

Perhaps, if people in the U.S. could see the ravages of HPV related cancers – hear the stories of lives forever altered, perhaps we would be eager to see to it that our sons and daughters are vaccinated against cancer.

At one end of the day was the hope of prevention, at the other the hope for the future.

“I am lucky to be alive and am grateful for the opportunity to speak out. Perhaps some day prevention and early detection won’t be a matter of luck.”

Dr. Reinherz  shared some of his thoughts about what my presence meant.

“Advocacy is extremely important. We need to rid society of the mythologies and bring awareness and truth. …funding to do science will be greatly helped via thoughtful commentary, offering a patient’s personal perspective. It truly takes a village and we each have a part to perform to conquer this dreadful disease.”

Take it to heart. We are all important in this struggle.


Picture
Accelerating HPV Vaccine Uptake: Urgency for Action to Prevent Cancer
4 Comments
Michelle grant link
4/18/2014 01:31:13 pm

This is amazing. You do the world a world of good, MJ. You always have and always will do so many great things! So proud of you!
Your buddy,
Michelle

Reply
dana guerrie
7/19/2019 03:05:10 pm

Thanks to great Dr Isibor that i met on this site. i am dana guerrie from California. i was an HPV victim. i had it for over four years i do visit hospital always before. I was just at the point of death with shame after i have lost everything in life even my love one until my close relative direct me to this site to look for great Dr Isibor . It so amazing to see my self back to my feet with everything i have lost. i am very happy because Dr Isibor did not only cure my sickness but he restructure my life by bringing back my ex and every thing i lost to the course of this sickness(HPV). i do not really know where to start from in appreciating you Dr Isibor. please my people out there do not play with your problem go out and seeks for the help of great Dr Isibor herbal healing, he healed me without future problem or hidden charges. now i am free from HPV and My husband, my joy and happiness are back. please with out a second choice go contact great Dr Isibor for the betterment of your life. CONTACT HIM VIA EMAIL;[email protected] whatsapp number +2348107855231

Reply
monika love
8/23/2019 07:22:08 am

I has suffered for Human papillomavirus HPV) for 2years, I was given some tablets at the hospital but I refused to take it, They said I have to be on it for life so I don't want take a drugs everyday for life. No point in taking medicine everyday when u won't get cure from it and I was advice to seek for natural herbal cure, after some time I found dr onokun is the most trustful herbalist that have herbs to cure wicked symptom's,I emailed dr onokun, for 2weeks been his patient he cured my (HPV) with his herbal. I only used his natural herbs for two weeks it was 100% cure. I'm not (HPV) patient anymore. I'm happy about it i finally got cured out of this mess been in my body for 2years. I also recommend you if you're living with (HPV) or herpes symptoms i also want you to be free contact dr onokun with the email. [email protected]

Reply
Paul Hart
1/20/2020 01:50:29 pm

I contracted hpv from my ex partner we broke up the relationship about four years ago, I has been on treatment for some years, I had lot pains and embarrassment for been hpv patient last two month i did hpv research online and found website for natural treatment to get ride of my infection, and i went through the site and recommend me to Dr onokun I contacted Dr onokun through his website and been his patient after one month I got cured. I want everyone living with hpv to get this treatment and got cured Dr onokun have the cure to every virus. his email; [email protected]

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mary-Jo offers sage advice.

    Archives

    September 2021
    June 2019
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    October 2017
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    2014
    AACR
    Aade
    Academy Awards
    A.D.A.
    Alana Stewart
    Albert Chang
    Allison Palandrani
    Amagdyla
    American Association Of Clinical Research
    American Association Of Diabetes Educators
    Anal Cancer Foundation
    Bacon Shortage
    Baron H. Lerner
    Behavioral Change
    Behavioral Change Theory
    Blood Lipids
    Cancer Memoir
    Cannabinoids
    Cannabis
    Chemo Brain
    Cleveland Clinic
    Dave Ramsey
    David Kessler
    Diabetes
    Dopamine
    Dr. Ellis Reinherz
    Dr. Michael Berry
    Drs. Michael F. Roizen And Mehmet C. Oz. Lipos
    Dr. Steven Nissen
    Drunk Drivers
    Environment Vs. Heredity
    Exercise
    Fairfield Hills State Hospital
    Farrah Fawcett Foundation
    Fda
    Frank Sinatra
    Hdl
    Health Habits
    Health Insurance
    Health Tips For A Lifetime
    High Resolution Anoscopy
    Hippocampus
    HPV Vaccine
    Insulin
    Irish Blessing
    Joel Palefsky
    Katherine Van Loon
    Lao Tzu
    Ldl
    Leptin
    Losing Your Hair To Cancer
    Martha Beck
    May13
    Memory Loss
    Memory Problems
    Mental Health Care
    Merck
    Mild Cognitive Impairment
    Mondays At Racine
    Newtown
    Obesity Epidemic
    Omega -3 Fatty Acids
    Oprah
    Overeating
    Phd
    Randy J. Sheely
    Sanofi
    Statins
    Std
    SU2C
    The Munchies
    The Survivors Club
    Triglycerides
    UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
    UCSF Public Educational Forum
    Warning About Statins
    Weight & Evolution
    Weight Loss
    Your Medical Mind

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.