[quote=RogerC]I just re-read the specifics again and I'm confused now.

In the first part, it sounds like they focused on a subgroup who received the vaccine, developed HPV disease anyway, and subsequently had less recurrence than the placebo group. A generalization was made by the authors suggesting benefit of getting the vaccine after HPV disease although that is not what was in the study's methodology.

In the second part, "The studies did not include baseline HPV testing or clinical examination before randomization, so women with ongoing HPV disease were permitted." Therefore, it sounds like some of these women were indeed HPV+, yet not confirmed with any testing before receiving the vaccine.

So I'm confused. Did any of these women benefit from receiving the vaccine AFTER they were HPV+ or not?
Thanks





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My questions were pulled from Brian's post, but I looked up the BMJ article in it's entirety and it appears the women did in fact get the vaccine or placebo FIRST, those that developed disease were followed, and the are saying those that received the vaccine had reduced recurrence.

When I originally read the ABC and other similar news reports, the wording sounded like they received the vaccine AFTER infection. Translation lost in journalism. Next time, I will try to go to the actual study.

So if I am understanding the BMJ article correctly, why did a subset of women develop HPV disease anyway after being vaccinated? Did the vaccine lose effectiveness or it wasn't effective in the first place? And to reiterate Dr. Fiala's comment, when the authors say the vaccine was effective in reducing recurrence for subtypes beyond the quadrivalent vaccine, how is that possible? You should only be protected from those 4 strains in the vaccine, not others. Like she said, maybe it has nothing to do with the vaccine. Or if it's possible, the immune response from the vaccine somehow protects other subtypes, I'd really like to know if that's true.
For example, if someone gets the flu shot, contracts the flu but it is a different strain than the shot, does that person get less severe symptoms or recover faster than someone who doesn't get the flu shot at all?

I apologize, my questions now are far away from the topic oral cancer, and are probably more appropriate for an immunologist. What I do know is, I am less enthusiastic about getting the vaccine myself. Correct me if I'm wrong but there is no disease out there where getting the vaccine for it afterward is of any benefit in the scientific literature.