A Children’s of Alabama researcher is working to improve HPV vaccination rates among childhood cancer survivors.
Childhood cancer survivors are significantly less likely to receive the HPV vaccine than their peers without cancer, despite having a three times higher risk of developing HPV-related cancers later in life[1]. A new initiative at Children’s of Alabama aims to improve vaccination rates, so patients can be protected long into their survivorship.
According to an HPV vaccine study led by Wendy Landier, Ph.D., CRNP, uptake among childhood cancer survivors was only about 24% compared to more than 50% in the general population. Although it’s not clear why young cancer survivors are more at risk for HPV-related cancers, it is likely due to effects from radiation and chemotherapy.
“One major reason for low vaccine uptake is that cancer survivors often don’t get a recommendation from their healthcare provider to receive the vaccine,” said Landier, the deputy director of the Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship at Children’s and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Without that recommendation, there is a tenfold higher risk the young cancer survivor will not get the vaccine. This could be due to gaps in follow-up care after cancer treatment, Landier said, when preventive health measures such as vaccination may be overlooked. “When a child has cancer, they are often followed in their cancer center or in their pediatric hematology oncology center for many years beyond their treatment,” she said. “Sometimes the focus of that follow-up care is on the disease and not prevention.”
The vaccine, which helps prevent cervical, anal, penile and throat cancers, is recommended for everyone ages 9 to 26, and should be considered for people up to age 45. But, Landier said, primary care providers may also be uncertain about whether it’s OK to vaccinate these children. Landier and her team showed the vaccine is safe and provides a similar level of protection against HPV in pediatric cancer survivors when compared with people of similar age in the general population.[2]
Their study also showed, however, that the main reasons cancer survivors and their parents refused to participate in the trial testing the safety and efficacy of the vaccine were health beliefs and family decisions—for example, some had already decided that the child would not receive the HPV vaccine. Vaccine-related information deficits can influence vaccine refusals. For example, some parents or patients may not understand that males can benefit from the vaccine or that it should be given before a person becomes sexually active.[3]
To improve vaccination rates in pediatric cancer survivors, Landier is currently leading a study to test an intervention called HPV PROTECT.[4] The goal is to educate pediatric oncology providers on the importance of recommending the vaccine. The intervention focuses on communication training and tools to facilitate vaccine access. Investigators then monitor the vaccination rates in the clinic and let the providers know how they’re doing.
Early results are promising, Landier said, with pediatric oncology providers showing enthusiasm for the intervention. The intervention shouldn’t be limited to pediatric oncologists, however. “It can benefit all pediatric providers,” she said.
“Vaccines are such an incredibly important tool in helping our survivors to stay healthy across the lifespan,” Landier said. “And we certainly hope in the future there’ll be other vaccines to even prevent the original cancers.”
[1] Klosky JL, Hudson MM, Chen Y, Connelly JA, Wasilewski-Masker K, Sun CL, Francisco L, Gustafson L, Russell KM, Sabbatini G, Flynn JS, York JM, Giuliano AR, Robison LL, Wong FL, Bhatia S, Landier W. Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates in Young Cancer Survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Nov 1;35(31):3582-90. Epub 20170824. doi: 10.1200/jco.2017.74.1843. PubMed PMID: 28837404; PMCID: PMC5662846.
[2] Landier W, Bhatia S, Wong FL, et al. Immunogenicity and safety of the human papillomavirus vaccine in young survivors of cancer in the USA: a single-arm, open-label, phase 2, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2022;6(1):38-48. doi:10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00278-9
[3] Cherven B, Klosky JL, Keith KE, Hudson MM, Bhatia S, Landier W. Reasons for refusal of the human papillomavirus vaccine among young cancer survivors. Cancer. 2023;129(4):614-623. doi:10.1002/cncr.34521
[4] Landier W, Bhatia S, Richman JS, et al. Implementation of a provider-focused intervention for maximizing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake in young cancer survivors receiving follow-up care in pediatric oncology practices: protocol for a cluster-randomized trial of the HPV PROTECT intervention. BMC Pediatr. 2022;22(1):541. doi:10.1186/s12887-022-03562-1
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