Wrong age group receiving cancer drug

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Several U.S. medical experts say the cervical cancer drug, Gardasil, is being prescribed to the wrong age group for it to be effective.

Based on current cancer data, the experts said the trend of inoculating preteen girls with the cancer-virus vaccine may ultimately do little to protect them from cervical cancer, the Washington Times said.

The incubation period for the human papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer is 10 to 15 years, and the average patient is 47, the newspaper said.

Taking that data into account, the five-year effectiveness of Gardasil will end long before a patient is at risk, if the drug is administered to preteen girls.

"It is a delicate balancing act," said American Cancer Society official Debbie Saslow. "If the vaccine is given at too young an age, it may wear off. Yet if it is given too late, it won't work."

The report comes as several U.S. states consider requiring HPV vaccinations for girls ages 11 to 13 who attend public school.