GlaxoSmithKline Release: Cervical Cancer Elimination Focus Of National Public Health Summit

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Making cervical cancer the first cancer eliminated in the United States is the ultimate goal of the three-day national HPV & Cervical Cancer Summit, hosted in Atlanta from Nov. 17 to 19 by Women In Government, a non-profit, bi-partisan association of elected women state officials. The Summit is the largest cervical cancer gathering to date of U.S. state legislators, advocates, medical experts and public policy officials, including those from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Experts now know that cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. With the development of preventive vaccines and more sophisticated diagnostic screening, such as FDA-approved HPV testing, we are on the threshold of an incredible era in which cervical cancer could be eliminated through better and more accessible preventive health care. However, we must take the right steps now," said Susan Crosby, president of Women In Government. "By assembling key stakeholders, the HPV & Cervical Cancer Summit will help shape public policy and public health initiatives to address cervical cancer elimination."

The Summit is the latest step in Women In Government's fight against cervical cancer, begun in January 2004, when the organization launched its Challenge to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Campaign. The Campaign engages state legislators nationwide in policy and awareness efforts to help eliminate cervical cancer. To date, 42 states have introduced legislation or resolutions targeting cervical cancer elimination and 34 states have enacted such measures.

Cervical cancer is caused by certain "high-risk" strains of HPV. Improved screening technology, such as HPV testing, holds great promise in better identifying women needing early intervention, while candidate vaccines have demonstrated significant success in preventing infection with the high-risk HPV strains in clinical trials, Crosby noted.

Summit outcomes will include strategies to incorporate new and emerging technologies into cervical cancer prevention programs; overcome cultural, ethnic and income disparities in prevention and treatment; and educate women about cervical cancer, HPV and the need for preventive measures.

Featured speakers at the Summit will include: * Texas First Lady Anita Perry, a long-time women's health advocate in her state where Gov. Rick Perry recently signed two bills targeting cervical cancer elimination. * Thomas C. Wright, Jr., M.D., director of the Division of Gynecological and Obstetrical Pathology at Columbia University Medical Center, and lead author of medical guidelines on the use of HPV testing in cervical cancer screening. * J. Thomas Cox, M.D., director of the Women's Clinic, Student Health Services, at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and prominent cervical cancer and HPV researcher and educator. * Laura Koutsky, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and principal investigator in the recently-announced Phase III clinical trial of an HPV vaccine. * Charles Scott, M.D., immediate past president of the NJ chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and editorial board member of Pediatric News. * Terri L. Cornelison, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute; assistant professor in gynecologic oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and lead researcher on racial disparity issues in cervical cancer. * Michael D. Randell, M.D., leading obstetrician and gynecologist at Atlanta's Northside Hospital, one of the largest comprehensive women's care hospitals in the country. * Christine Baze, musician, cervical cancer survivor and founder of popsmear.org, who will perform in conjunction with her Yellow Umbrella Tour. More about Cervical Cancer

Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV, with 6.2 million new infections occurring annually, according to the CDC. Approximately 80 percent of sexually active women will be infected with HPV by age 50, the CDC reports. For 90 percent of infected women, the virus is naturally cleared by the body and becomes undetectable within two years. However, persistent infection with "high-risk" types of HPV is the main risk factor for cancer of the cervix, located at the base of the uterus. These strains of HPV, which sometimes stay dormant in the body for years, cause cell changes on the cervix that can ultimately become cancerous.

Worldwide, cervical cancer kills almost a quarter-million women each year, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). In the United States, cervical cancer rates have decreased significantly over the last 60 years due to widespread use of the Pap test. Still, the American Cancer Society estimates that 10,370 new cases in U.S. women will be diagnosed this year.

Research shows that the Pap test's ability to detect cervical cancer or its early signs ranges from 51 to 85 percent. The FDA recently approved a new screening test for HPV infections, which, when used in conjunction with a Pap in women age 30 and older, increases the accuracy of the Pap to almost 100 percent. If the FDA approves an HPV vaccine and it were widely used, it could contribute significantly to the reduction of cervical cancer worldwide.

"We know that infection with HPV causes cervical cancer," Susan Crosby said. "We know that a combination of improved screening and vaccination could prevent most cases of this disease. We now have a real opportunity to eliminate cervical cancer and this Summit is intended to help move us more rapidly toward that goal."

About Women In Government

Women In Government is a national, 501(c)(3), non-profit, bi-partisan organization of women state legislators providing leadership opportunities, networking, expert forums and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues. For more information, visit http://www.womeningovernment.org.

The HPV & Cervical Cancer Summit is open to working members of the news media on Thursday, Nov. 17 and Friday, Nov. 18.

CONTACT: Tracy Morris, +1-650-473-1272; Cell: +1-650-380-4413,tracy@morrismarcom.com, or Kathryn Guccione, +1-202-333-0825 ext. 211;Cell: +1-202-468-3801, kguccione@womeningovernment.org

Web site: http://www.womeningovernment.org/