FROM CANCER
Vaccinating 12-year-old boys against human papillomavirus appears to be a cost-effective strategy for preventing HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, according to an analysis performed using a theoretical cohort.
In a Markov model, a theoretical Canadian cohort of 192,940 boys aged 12 years in 2012 showed that use of the quadrivalent HPV (HPV4) vaccine produced 0.05 more quality-adjusted life-years and saved $145 Canadian dollars per person vs. no vaccine, assuming 99% vaccine efficacy and 70% uptake. The findings were reported by Dr. Donna M. Graham of the Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, and her colleagues online April 13 in the journal Cancer.
When 50% vaccine efficacy and 50% uptake were assumed, the HPV4 vaccine produced 0.023 more quality-adjusted life-years and saved $42 Canadian dollars, the investigators said. Based on these findings, use of HPV4 in boys could save between $8 million and $28 million Canadian dollars over the lifetime of the cohort (Cancer 2015 April 13 [doi:10.1002/cncr.29111]).
“The argument for funding male HPV vaccination in North America is becoming more compelling given the additional benefits of reduction in genital warts and anal cancer and the potential benefits for the female population because of increased herd immunity. Prospective data collection for male HPV vaccination and [oropharyngeal cancer] may validate these findings in the future,” they concluded.
Study coauthor Dr. Geoffrey Liu serves on the advisory boards of Pfizer and Novartis.
