Cancer

October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has developed a new campaign to raise awareness about the importance of preventing hepatitis B…

While overall US teen vaccine coverage has increased, more education and stronger provider recommendations are needed to boost human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates…

This year, we all have a reason to take heart. The current generation of teens are an empowered group, and the choices they are making about their health give parents hope for the future…

Vaccines save lives; there is simply no question about it. Decades of evidence and scientific studies support this fact. So why are we facing a potential epidemic of vaccine-preventable diseases?

HPV vaccines are safe and effective in preventing certain types of cancers, but for many preteens and teens, having ‘the talk’ with their parents or guardians about preventing a sexually-transmitted infection (STI) can be awkward…

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month—a perfect opportunity to raise awareness about HPV vaccination that can help prevent certain types of cancers…

Did you know that in the US, two out of three people living with chronic hepatitis B do not know they are infected but can still spread the virus…

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are safe and effective in preventing certain types of cancers, but for many preteens and teens, having the talk with their parents about preventing a sexually transmitted infection can be awkward. New campaign helps start the conversation…

In the US, nearly 80 million people—about one in four—are currently infected and about 14 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year. HPV causes 32,500 cancers in men and women and HPV vaccination can prevent most of the cancers (about 30,000) from ever developing…

Now is the time for parents and health professionals to protect the children they care for from HPV cancers. Every year that adolescents aren’t vaccinated is another year they are unprotected from cancer-causing infections…

As an adolescent medicine specialist, I’m faced with the daily challenge of guiding my patients through their adolescent years in a safe, healthy way. Sadly, there is much beyond my control, but the administration of immunizations is a very straight forward way of protecting them from diseases which I know will have a significant impact on their health. A perfect example of a vaccine that is extremely beneficial to patients in my practice is the HPV vaccine.

Despite availability of safe and effective HPV vaccines, completion of the 3-dose vaccine series remains low and completion rates are much higher in girls (37.6%) than boys (13.9%) although HPV vaccination has been recommended for both boys and girls 11-12 years of age since December, 2011.