HPV Cancers Alliance co-founder Marcia Cross is launching a new campaign and taking the fight to Capitol Hill to boost awareness for HPV-related cancers.
Cross, an Emmy-nominated actress best known for her role in "Desperate Housewives," set up the HPV Cancers Alliance after being diagnosed with anal cancer linked to HPV in 2019.
She co-founded the group with Lillian Kreppel, who has also been diagnosed with HPV-positive anal cancer, and Dan Lifton, CEO of research-driven nutrition company Quality of Life.
The group is now looking to boost awareness of HPV, which is a series of common viruses typically spread through sexual contact, according to the CDC. Most are harmless and asymptomatic but a small selection of HPV types can cause certain anal, head and neck and genital cancers.
Cross and the Alliance took to Capitol Hill this month seeking more federal funding and stronger legislation to support HPV awareness and the cancers it can cause.
According to the CDC, around 46,000 HPV-related cancers occur in the U.S. each year. The awareness push also comes as a new study out this month at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting found that public awareness of the link between HPV and cervical cancer “has declined over the past several years.”
According to the research published in Cancer Discovery, there is also a low awareness of HPV's connection with other cancers in general, including anal, oral, and penile. This, the authors argue, highlights “an urgent need for educational campaigns targeting medical professionals and the public.”
The main vaccine to prevent HPV cancers comes from Merck’s Gardasil, with its most recent version, Gardasil 9, being FDA approved in 2020 for both boys, girls and younger men and women to help prevent HPV infection and genital warts. Merck is not involved in this campaign.
“The HPV vaccine is nearly 100% effective and provides long-lasting protection,” said Kreppel in a press release. “Congress should make every effort to support HPV prevention and awareness of the virus and its potentially devastating consequences.”
This comes as Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) is set to reintroduce the Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education, and New Treatments for HPV Cancers Act (PREVENT HPV Cancers Act).
This would set up a national awareness campaign and give U.S. states additional resources to boost and improve their immunization information systems, something the Alliance says it backs.