Topical shows promise in treating precancerous cervical condition [Video]

Newswise — Cervical cancer, often caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, remains a public health challenge worldwide despite falling diagnoses related to the success of the HPV vaccine in young adult women. More than 11,500 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and over 4,000 women die from it.

A randomized three-arm (compares three different groups) phase II trial led by Yale Cancer Center (YCC) researchers at Yale School of Medicine examined the efficacy of imiquimod suppositories — which contain a topical drug that stimulates an immune system response — alone and in combination with the 9-valent human papillomavirus (9vHPV) vaccine in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), grades 2 and 3. CIN is a precancerous condition in which an individual develops abnormal cells at the entrance of the uterus (the cervix). It’s often caused by HPV strains.

YCC researchers presented the study’s findings at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, …