Cervical Cancer in the HPV-Vaccination Cohort in the Netherlands

Abstract

HPV vaccination protects women against cervical cancer. In the Netherlands vaccination is offered before the age of 14 for girls born in 1993 or later. Screening is offered to them from the age of 30. The uptake of HPV vaccination amongst girls is 55%.

We identified in the Netherlands Cancer Registry all women with cervical cancer in women born since 1993. For these women the vaccination status was retrieved from their medical files.

We identified 135 women with cervical cancer. For 51 of these women the vaccination status could not be retrieved from their medical records. Of the women for whom the vaccination status was known 15% (13/84) were vaccinated, 85% ( 71/84) were not.

These results show us that the lower vaccination rates we found in women with cervical cancer as compared to the population align with the known protective effect of HPV vaccination for the development of cervical cancer. Second even women who are vaccinated can develop cervical cancer so screening will remain an important pillar of cervical cancer prevention. Lastly there is a need to improve the uptake of HPV vaccination. We hope our results will help motivate young people to get vaccinated for HPV.

Keywords: cervical cancer, HPV vaccination, prevention, the netherlands, cohort study