Tracey O’Brien: Australia is set to be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer in the coming decade

Tracey O’Brien shared a post by Cancer Institute NSW on LinkedIn:

“Time and time again, vaccines have been at the heart of many public health success stories around the world. Vaccines have led to the eradication of deadly infectious diseases like smallpox and polio in Australia and have reduced our risk of disease complications or death. We saw the powerful lifesaving impact of immunisation against the COVID-19 virus in the recent pandemic.

In the cancer field, another one of these public health success stories is being written. Australia is set to be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer in the coming decade thanks to the combination of Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical screening efforts. Anything we can do to protect ourselves and reduce the risk of cervical cancer, like up-taking HPV vaccination and routine screening, is worth it.

HPV causes most cervical cancers and is a cause of many oropharyngeal cancers, anal cancers, vulvar, vaginal and penile cancers. Known as Gardasil 9, the HPV vaccine was introduced in Australia in 2007 and protects against seven HPV types that cause around 90 per cent of cervical cancers and 95 per cent of all male HPV-related cancers.

Free for 12 to 25-year-olds under the National HPV Vaccination Program, the vaccine is accessible via the school-based immunisation program for 12 to 13-year-old girls and boys. This World Immunisation Week, talk to your family and make sure you take advantage of potentially life-saving vaccines like the HPV vaccine. As always, if you have any questions, talk to your health professional.”

Quoting Cancer Institute NSW’s post:

“This week is World Immunisation Week 24-30 April, recognising that immunisation protects you, your family and others in the community from serious diseases.

Did you know that together with the Cervical Screening Test, the HPV vaccine can prevent cervical cancer? The HPV vaccine is free for all school children aged 12-13 years under the National Immunisation Program.

It’s important all children get vaccinated to protect themselves against HPV-related illnesses, including cervical cancer.

Get the full story.

Learn more about the HPV vaccine and how it prevents HPV related cancers.”

Source: Tracey O’Brien/LinkedIn and Cancer Institute NSW/LinkedIn

Dr. Tracey O’Brien is the NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Australia. Before her current role, Tracey was Director of the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, and Director of the Transplant & Cellular Therapy Program. Tracey has held numerous high-profile national and international leadership positions, including Advisory Chair, Cancer Australia; V/Chair (Africa, Asia and Australasia) International Centre for Bone Marrow Transplant Research and V/President of the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Oncology Group. In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Tracey was profiled in 2023 as one of the world’s foremost women in paediatric cancer by the International Society of Paediatric Oncology.

In 2019 Tracey was named in the Australian Financial Review’s prestigious Top 10 Women of Influence, winning the Innovation category. In addition to her medical expertise, Tracey has a Master of Law (Health) and executive MBA and serves as a conjoint Professor in Clinical Medicine (UNSW) and Honorary Professor in Science and Engineering (Macquarie University). Dr. O’Brien remains committed to mentoring the next generation of clinician leaders and maintains an active clinical practice in cancer survivorship at Sydney Children’s Hospital.