On the Path to Prevention from the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program, June 2021

Since HPV vaccination first became available in the United States on June 8, 2006, more than 120 million doses have been administered. This is a great accomplishment, yet only slightly more than half (54%) of 13- to 17-year-old adolescents have been fully vaccinated. That is why our program at St. Jude is with you on the path to prevention; we know there are many more HPV cancers to be prevented.

An initial focus on HPV vaccination for cervical cancer prevention resulted in a women-only frame. Men get HPV cancers, too- and we want to make sure to incorporate that message in the journey. According to the latest data, 20,000 men are diagnosed with an HPV-associated cancer each year (most being oropharyngeal cancers). HPV vaccination is cancer prevention for all. Read on for more, including a few words from Jason “SupermanHPV” Mendelsohn.

Our program staff continues to identify opportunities to increase HPV vaccination. I want to thank the organizers of the May 14th Arkansas HPV Summit, for warmly welcoming the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program staff to their conference. Our team is excited to be working with stakeholders in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, and we look forward to expanding in the future.

Lastly, June is Cancer Survivor Month. While we celebrate cancer survivors every day, this edition of our program email recognizes the courage, strength, and resiliency of all cancer survivors. I hope you will take a moment to reflect on the lives lost – and saved. Every number, every statistic represents a beloved person whose life matters. Their stories are powerful reminders of why we do our work.

Every month, our program will send an email like this. We hope you will share it with others who may be interested and ask them to subscribe, too. We also want to hear from you if you have opportunities and information we can share. Email PreventHPV@stjude.org with any questions.

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital partnered with 70 other National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers and seven national organizations to issue a joint statement urging the nation’s health care systems, physicians, parents and children, and young adults to get HPV vaccinations back on track.

Specifically, NCI Cancer Centers strongly encourage the following immediate action steps:

Health care systems and providers, please immediately identify and contact adolescents under your care who are due for vaccinations and use every opportunity to encourage and complete vaccination; and
Parents, please vaccinate your adolescents as soon as possible.

Dramatic drops in annual well-child visits and immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a significant vaccination gap and lag in vital preventive services among U.S. children and adolescents—especially for the HPV vaccine. The pandemic also has exacerbated health disparities, leaving underserved adolescents at even greater risk for missed doses of this cancer prevention vaccine.

Organizations endorsing this statement include the Association of American Cancer Institutes; American Association for Cancer Research; American Cancer Society; American Society of Clinical Oncology; American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; American Society of Preventive Oncology; and the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Read more here.

“I knew the HPV vaccine helps prevent against a number of adult cancers,” says Rachael Murray about her daughter. “She has been through so much already. I don’t want her to experience something later in life that could have been prevented.” – Rachael Murry, mom to 10-year-old Annabelle, a cancer survivor.

Annabelle Murray has been a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since she was 3 months old. Annabelle has spent much of her life undergoing treatment for severe chronic neutropenia. When her mother, Rachael, learned that Annabelle could receive the HPV vaccine at St. Jude, her decision was easy. Our team applauds Rachael’s decision to prevent HPV cancers by making sure Annabelle received the HPV vaccination during the routinely recommended age range of 9 to 12.

June is Cancer Survivor Month. While HPV vaccination is cancer prevention, it is relevant to childhood cancer survivors. HPV vaccination is an important tool to prevent second cancers among children who are cancer survivors. Childhood cancer survivors are at greater risk of second cancers. Uptake of HPV vaccination is about 40% lower among childhood cancer survivors as compared to the general population.

Female childhood cancer survivors have rates of HPV cancer that are 40% higher and male childhood cancer survivors have rates of HPV cancer that are 150% higher as compared to the general population. Put another way, female childhood cancer survivors have a 1.4 times higher risk and male childhood cancer survivors have a 2.5 times higher risk for developing HPV cancers as compared to the general population.
HPV vaccination is recommended as part of routine immunization schedule for all adolescents, including childhood cancer survivors who are in the eligible age range. The Children’s Oncology Group guidelines recommend administration of the HPV vaccine to reduce the risk for HPV-related cancers for all eligible childhood cancer survivors.
Currently, even despite major advances, we do not fully understand the effects of cancer treatment on the immune system. Taking precautions is important for all survivors because strong immune systems are needed to resolve HPV infection and avoid HPV cancers. The best defense is HPV vaccination.

We know those of you working with us at St. Jude to increase HPV vaccination encounter many obstacles — vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, stories like Annabelle’s make us optimistic about these hurdles.

As the premier publication of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Promise magazine helps educate about the innovative scientific research and excellent medical care happening at St. Jude. The HPV Cancer Prevention Program was featured in the Spring 2021 edition. Access the article here. Learn more about HPV vaccination for childhood cancer survivors on the Together website and community.

Jason Mendelsohn is known to many as “SupermanHPV.” Jason is a husband, father of three, businessman, and a survivor of an HPV cancer. In 2014, Jason was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer – a cancer of his tonsils. Jason’s diagnosis resulted in a radical tonsillectomy and neck dissection (forty-two lymph nodes removed), and 7 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, during which he obtained his nutrients through a feeding tube. So why “Superman”? It was an easy choice for a nickname. His friends called him “Superman” during his chemo and radiation treatments, and gave him action hero shirts and figures, stating that Jason is “Superman Tough.”

Jason is a super advocate for the prevention of HPV cancers. He shares his personal journey through various media outlets, including podcasts and interviews. Earlier this year, Jason shared his story with the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program team. We are compelled by Jason’s bravery, admire his strength, and are inspired by his passion for prevention.

For this June update, he provided us with a dual message in honor of National Cancer Survivor’s Day and Father’s Day.

“As a survivor of HPV-related tonsil cancer and a father of three, I feel it’s my responsibility to protect my kids from HPV preventable cancers. In my opinion, it’s a parent’s role to keep their kids safe. The HPV vaccine allows us to protect our sons and daughters from HPV preventable cancers.”

Connect with the SupermanHPV community here, and take a second to learn more about Jason’s views on family and fatherhood by reading his latest blog post, available here.

Well-being for Dads: How do you help keep the father-figure
in your life on a healthy trajectory?

We can help decrease the likelihood of HPV cancers in our kids by making sure that they receive the HPV vaccination on time and by giving guidance that steers them onto a pathway of healthy choices.

Father figures are known for giving great advice, but this time, we “flipped the switch” by asking the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program team to let us know what advice they give to the father figures in their lives in order to keep these guys healthy and strong.

“What do you do to keep your dad healthy?” Tips below.

“It’s always difficult to find the perfect present for my dad. I decided to use his birthday and holidays to give gifts that support healthy activities. Whether it’s a pair of running shoes, a thermal travel bottle for water, or a subscription to a fitness magazine, he always appreciates both the present(s) and the thought behind it.” – Julia Neely, program coordinator
“My father took his role seriously. He taught us to live responsibly and to be kind to others. He gave us the love of travel early in life. Now we give him all that he gave to us, hopefully as well as he did.” – Carol Minor, program coordinator
“My father believes in getting what he calls his ‘proper rest.’ He tells us to always get our ‘proper rest’ in order to have a clear mind in thinking. Recently, I've had to sometimes remind him to remember to take his own advice.” – Ursula LeFlore, administrative specialist
“My Uncle daddy is a skilled electric guitarist and when the clamors of the world starts to invade his mind, I remind him to throw on some music to help soothe his soul.” – Andrea Stubbs, administrative director
“My dad used to always work out in our basement when my two younger sisters and I were growing up. He was a role model for being active and leading a healthy lifestyle. He has continued to do this into his 70s – and he claims to have survived the 60s twice. I would tell my dad to just keep moving, whatever that means at any age and at any stage. Keep leading an active and healthy lifestyle with lots of golfing, bicycling, walking (he can no longer run), fishing, and keeping up with his three grandchildren.” – Heather Brandt, director
“I miss my dad all the time. We’ve been very careful about distancing and postponing visits during the pandemic. Now they we are all vaccinated, I beg him to come see us—anytime. Connections with family are crucial to promoting strong mental health and preventing isolation.” – Katie Midgley, program coordinator

We want to wish all the fathers, including stepfathers, foster fathers, grandfathers, future fathers, and father figures (like uncles), a very happy and safe Father’s Day.

National and Global Health Observances + Upcoming Events

We have assembled national and global health observances for June 2021 that may be of interest. We hope you will join us in promoting these health observances with your networks to advocate for a healthier future.

Men's Health Month kicked off on June 1, 2021 to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The response has been overwhelming, with thousands of awareness activities in the United States. Also, International Men's Health Week will be celebrated June 11-20, 2021 ending on Father's Day. Learn more about Men’s Health Month here and about International Men’s Health Week here.

The first National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week is scheduled for June 17-23, 2021 to increase cancer awareness among Black families. National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week aims to marshal community-based stakeholders to build knowledge about cancer clinical trial participation and minority population specimen donations to national genetic databases for cancer research. Check out the #BlackFamCan social media toolkit by visiting this website. Register to attend the “National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week: Engaging the Generations” #BlackFamCan virtual public panel discussion (via Zoom). For more information and to register, please visit this link.

National Cancer Survivors Day® is an annual, treasured Celebration of Life that is held in hundreds of communities nationwide, and around the world, on the first Sunday in June. The nonprofit National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation provides free guidance, education, and networking to hundreds of hospitals, support groups, and other cancer-related organizations that host events in their communities. On June 6, 2021, people around the world will unite to recognize cancer survivors, raise awareness of challenges, and – most importantly – celebrate life. You can connect with cancer survivors and supporters by using the hashtag #NCSD2021 and following National Cancer Survivors Day® on Facebook (Facebook.com/CancerSurvivorsDay) and Twitter (@survivorsday).

Don’t miss the Annual Meeting of the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable on June 9-10!
3, 2, 1 ... Blastoff! to new heights with the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable. Register today for the Annual Meeting of the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable on June 9-10, 2021 and join in on their mission to get adolescent vaccination back on track. To view the agenda and conference flyer, as well as sign-up, please visit this website.