Simmons Cancer Institute to Host HPV Roundtable for Parents

Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU Medicine will host “The ABC’s of HPV” at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 21. The roundtable discussion will provide parents and guardians with an opportunity to discuss human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations with medical professionals from Southern Illinois University Medicine. The event will also stream live at facebook.com/SimmonsCancerInstitute.

HPV is a viral infection that can cause various types of cancer. The virus is passed between people through skin-to-skin contact. Approximately 12,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, while about 4,000 will die of cervical cancer each year. “Almost 100 percent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV,” said SIU Medicine gynecological cancer specialist Laurent Brard, MD, PhD. “Treating HPV will save lives.”

“This is one of the only vaccines we have to prevent cancer, which is such a worry for parents,” said Careyana Brenham, MD, a family medicine physician at the SIU Center for Family Medicine. “The HPV vaccine provides an important opportunity to prevent these cancers,” added SIU head and neck surgeon Arun Sharma, MD, MS.

“The ABC’s of HPV” provides parents with three easy-to-follow guidelines:

• A is for adolescents: Children should receive the vaccine before their 13^th birthday to achieve the best immune response.

• B is for both: Experts recommend both boys and girls receive the vaccine.

• C is for cancer prevention: The vaccine provides protection from many cancers such as throat, cervical and penile, among others.

To register, call 217-545-7493 or RSVP to the event on Facebook. Funding for the program is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (CDC-DP17-1701).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine recommend the vaccine.

The mission of Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU is to serve the people of central and southern Illinois by addressing their present and future cancer needs through education, research, patient care and community service.