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

It’s a new year. As one calendar year ends and another begins, it is customary to take time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the coming year. I have been doing the same for myself and for the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program.

In 2023, our program underwent an internal review during which we identified four major accomplishments since the formal start of our program in March 2021.

Developed and launched the Path to a Bright Future national public awareness campaign.
Addressed HPV vaccination with rural communities in the United States.
Established the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast.
Formed and built the Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable.

Additional noteworthy accomplishments included national leadership recognition and engagement; prioritizing health care provider programming; and our focus on HPV vaccination policy recommendations and products.

As we look forward in 2024 and beyond, we have many opportunities to catalyze improvements in HPV vaccination coverage – directly and indirectly. In 2024, we will be introducing a newly developed national public awareness campaign; actively implementing and supporting implementation of priority action steps to improve HPV vaccination coverage with rural communities and across the Southeastern United States; and continuing our focus on HPV vaccination policy. We also recognize the significance of a one-dose HPV vaccination schedule in the United States, which may happen in the next year. We are partnering with the American Cancer Society, ACS National HPV Vaccination Roundtable, and other thought leaders on elimination planning. Eliminating HPV cancers beginning with cervical cancer as a public health problem is among the biggest, hairiest, and most audacious goals (BHAG). So many possibilities. Our efforts are urgent with far too many children missing out on on-time administration of this safe, effective cancer prevention vaccination. We have work to do; we are up to the challenge.

What are your HPV vaccination goals for 2024? Let us know. We would love to feature what you are working on and your plans for impact in the coming year. Email us at PreventHPV@stjude.org.

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month

Cervical Health Awareness Month is a time to talk about preventing, detecting, and treating cervical cancer. It’s also an opportunity to take a closer look at who is contracting cervical cancer and what we can do to reduce the incidence in at-risk populations.

Anyone with a cervix is at risk for cervical cancer, and almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV. Each year, about 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. Hispanic women have the highest rates of new cases of cervical cancer followed by American Indian and Alaska Natives, then non-Hispanic Black women. While HPV vaccination rates among adult Hispanic women and non-Hispanic Black women trail behind those of non-Hispanic white women, HPV vaccination rates among Hispanic youth are higher than those for non-Hispanic Black women and non-Hispanic white women.

Women of all races and ethnicities can reduce their risk by getting screened for cervical cancer. Current recommendations for cervical cancer screening are:

For women ages 21–29: screening every three years with a Pap test alone
For women ages 30–65: screening every three years with a Pap test alone, every five years with high-risk HPV testing alone or every five years with high-risk HPV testing in combination with a Pap test (called co-testing)

HPV vaccination can prevent almost all cases of cervical cancer and is recommended for everyone ages 9–26 and for some people ages 27–45.

Adolescents can get vaccinated against HPV at health care providers’ offices, state or local health clinics and some pharmacies. Almost every program may provide

HPV vaccination today is cancer prevention for the future.

Cervical Health Awareness Month: A Caretaker's Journey

Catching up with Holly Rasmussen

Holly Rasmussen currently teaches English as a second language at Collierville Schools. She is the daughter of a 25-year cervical cancer survivor. Holly has assumed the role of champion and advocate for HPV cancer prevention, including promoting HPV vaccination and engaging with efforts to ensure the voices of survivors and their families are amplified. During Cervical Health Awareness Month, she shares her story about becoming a caretaker for her mother at the tender age of 9.

The very first International HPV Awareness Day was officially recognized on March 4, 2018, marking a significant milestone in the worldwide effort against. To celebrate the upcoming seventh annual International HPV Awareness Day on March 4, 2024, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program is excited to present a series of five virtual seminars featuring experts across the entire landscape of HPV cancer prevention efforts. Seminars will be held from 12 to 1:15 p.m. Central Time.

February 28:
Aligning Efforts, Amplifying Impact: Boosting HPV Vaccination Rates in the Southeast:
This virtual seminar will highlight the key strategic initiatives being emphasized in Southeastern states to collectively boost HPV vaccination rates through coordinated efforts.

February 29:
Rural Reach: Accelerating HPV Vaccination Coverage:
This virtual seminar will explore a comprehensive strategy of six priority action steps aimed at enhancing HPV vaccination in rural communities.

March 1:
The A-B-Cs of HPV Vaccination in School-Based Settings Easy as 1-2-3:
This virtual seminar will focus on improving knowledge of HPV vaccination best practices among health professionals and administrators working in school-based settings.

March 4:
Promoting the Power of Elimination through HPV Vaccination:
This virtual seminar will discuss existing and emerging local, national, and global strategies to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.

March 5:
Navigating HPV Vaccination Challenges in Childhood Cancer Survivors:
This virtual seminar will provide information regarding enhancing HPV vaccination in childhood cancer survivors along with understanding challenges and opportunities for HPV vaccination and discuss the strategies to improve vaccination in this population.

Following the announcement of priority action steps to improve rural HPV vaccination coverage last fall, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program started hosting quarterly update meetings to share progress and feature thought leaders, innovators, and catalysts in the rural HPV vaccination space. In the latest meeting held on November 29, we reviewed the six priority action steps and shared updates on progress to date and shared information on recent National Rural Health Day activities. In addition, presentations were given by two experts. Christina Turpin of the ACS National HPV Vaccination Roundtable emphasized starting HPV vaccination at 9 and the American Cancer Society plans for HPV cancer elimination targets beginning with cervical cancer. Jennifer Nkonga of the American Cancer Society discussed the Mountain West HPV Vaccination Project, which aims to reduce disparities through regional consortiums, quality improvement, and professional education. The presenters provided valuable resources such as the link to a collection of over 25 original research articles, video abstracts from leading experts on the impact of starting vaccination at age 9, and the provider education video series.

Join us for the next quarterly update meeting on February 21 from 1-2 p.m. CT. We are excited to feature Sara Lolley, program manager at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) who will share insights on AAP efforts to improve HPV vaccination rates within rural communities. Additionally, we will delve into the latest developments on progress surrounding the six priority action steps.

Wide Open Spaces:

Supporting HPV Vaccination with Rural Communities

Vaccination Efforts in Rural Appalachia

It is no secret that rural, especially Appalachian; communities experience greater disease burden and health disparities compared to their urban counterparts. Funded by the National Cancer Institute to help reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Appalachian communities, Take CARE (Clinical Avenues to Reach Health Equity) was designed to address factors strongly associated with cervical cancer and is comprised of three evidence-based, complementary initiatives focused on HPV vaccination (I Vaccinate), smoking cessation (Break Free), and cervical cancer screening (HOME). Our transdisciplinary team uses implementation science methods and an integrated approach to reduce cervical cancer risk among patients from 10 participating health care systems across Appalachian counties of Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia, with Ohio State University, University of West Virginia, University of Kentucky, and University of Virginia teams.

Electra D. Paskett, PhD, is the Marion N. Rowley Professor of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University, Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in the College of Medicine, a professor in the Division of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health, Associate Director for Population Sciences and Community Outreach and Founding Director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at the James Cancer Hospital. She was a member of the National Cancer Institute’s National Cancer Advisory Board and the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. Her studies use multi-level interventions in transdisciplinary teams with community-based participatory research to identify and intervene on factors contributing to disparities among underserved populations, including rural and Appalachian populations and social and ethnic minority groups.

Cooking Up Success: Join Us for the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast

The HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast will meet in-person on January 22-23 at
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The meeting will bring together people working across Southeastern states to improve HPV vaccination coverage. This meeting will be an opportunity for sharing successes and challenges, generating ideas, and promoting action to improve HPV vaccination in the Southeastern U.S. by identifying strategies for collective impact. Learn more about the programming of the Southeast Roundtable in this preview. Please note meeting registration closed on January 2.

Prior to the in-person meeting, the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast will host a virtual pre-meeting on January 10, 2024, from noon to 1 p.m. CT. The pre-meeting will highlight the resources created by the Southeast Roundtable, showcase selected evidence-based interventions that will be a focus of the in-person meeting, and describe the agenda and iterative "unconference" process for the in-person meeting.

Following the in-person meeting, the Southeast Roundtable will host three virtual follow-up meetings to discuss progress in realizing action steps identified during the in-person meeting. The three virtual follow-up meetings will take place on February 24, March 20, and April 24 from noon to 1 p.m. CT. Links to join virtual meetings will be sent to all who register to attend the in-person meeting.

Join the Southeast Roundtable

Visit the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast website at stjude.org/southeast-roundtable, sign up here to receive the latest information about the roundtable, and email PreventHPV@stjude.org with any questions.

Tennessee

Tennessee Cancer Plan Work Groups – Planning for Impact

The State of Tennessee Cancer Plan update for 2023-27 is close to final submission. The next step is for all three regions of the Tennessee Cancer Coalition (TC2) to begin meeting within the designated work groups, beginning in January 2024. These work groups are intended to bring coalition members together to work on specific objectives within the State of Tennessee Cancer Plan. TC2 members have chosen their work group based upon their strengths and areas of expertise, aiming to collectively impact cancer outcomes across the state.

There are seven designated work groups: Health Equities and Disparities, Screening and Early Detection, Primary Prevention, Treatment, Palliative Care, Survivorship, and Childhood Cancer. HPV Immunization is a part of the Primary Prevention work group as cancer prevention is the hallmark of HPV vaccination. They will meet on February 15 at 10 a.m. CT.

The work group objectives for HPV will be based on the proposed priority of increasing HPV vaccination rates to reduce the risk of HPV cancers, along with the following strategies: 1. Increase public awareness and knowledge of HPV vaccination proven to reduce the risk of cancer; 2. Improve HPV vaccination education levels and build capacity through training of health professionals to promote HPV vaccination for cancer prevention; and 3. Implement evidence-based interventions to increase HPV vaccination coverage.

The task of the work groups to create objectives around these strategies will affect change with providers and parents that leads to cancer prevention through HPV vaccinations. If you are interested in joining the Tennessee Cancer Coalition and one of the work groups, please contact Rachel Matlock at Rachel.Matlock@tn.gov.

Tennessee Department of Health Immunization Provider Expo

We are thrilled to announce that the Tennessee Department of Health Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program (VPDIP) will be hosting an Immunization Provider Expo in each of Tennessee's grand divisions (East, Middle, West). These annual full-day gatherings are designed to bring our vaccine providers together to foster networking, enhance their knowledge, and collaboratively address challenges. This event serves as a replacement for the VFC Annual Review held prior to 2020.

The upcoming VPDIP Immunization Provider Expo dates will be:

Memphis on March 6, 2024
Knoxville on March 20, 2024
Nashville on March 27, 2024 (Hybrid option available)

Click here to reserve your spot.

Jason Mendelsohn, Superman HPV/oropharyngeal cancer survivor (in the center) shared his survivorship story and his advocacy efforts with the HPV Cancers Alliance. Read more about his story here. Our very own Rob Clark (far right), Chief of Government Affairs Officer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital attended Advocacy Day sponsored by the HPV Cancers Alliance on November 15, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Every participating organization played an instrumental role in the collective mission of advocating for the prevention of HPV cancers. Organizations discussed the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, where President Biden included $15 million in his 2024 budget requests to encourage use of the HPV vaccines and detect HPV cancers.

Join us on January 24 to learn how HPV vaccination is a powerful tool to help end several cancers and support actions that can be taken by Congress to help achieve increased vaccination uptake throughout the nation. This conversation will be moderated by Beth Battaglino, CEO of HealthyWomen. Some of the panelists include Heather Brandt, PhD, director of the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program along with Tamika Felder, Chief Visionary of Cervivor, Inc., and Jason Mendelsohn, Superman HPV/oropharyngeal cancer survivor.

“Each year, I spend the MLK holiday with my senior relatives by participating in the rally and a reenacted march. We usually close out our time together touring the Civil Rights Museum where they each share their reflections about the man he was and the legacy he will always be remembered by.” – Andrea Stubbs, administrative director

“Each year, I volunteer for a community effort in my sorority. We also take time to hear about Dr. King’s legacy after our service activity.” – Karlisa Cryer, medical content writer

“MLK Day has become a day of service in communities across the country. I always pick something to do for the cause.” – Carol Minor, program coordinator

“I plan to use Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a way to teach my children about the importance of building the community through education and service.” – Julia Brown, program manager

“For MLK Day, I am going to be talking to a friend of mine who is a podcaster about HPV in underserved communities, especially Black Hispanics.” – Cristobal Valdebenito, program coordinator

“I will spend the day with my family and honor Dr. King's legacy by discussing his impact on the community. I’m excited to be able to share his legacy with my son.” – Portia Knowlton, program coordinator

“I usually participate in the day of service and volunteer with local organizations in my community. I hope I can do the same this year.” – Duha Magzoub, program coordinator

“I plan to learn more about the history and also read relevant children’s books to my son.” – Pragya Gautam Poudel, postdoctoral fellow

“This upcoming MLK Day will be my last in Memphis – a city that reflects both the progress made and the challenges faced in the fight for racial equality in America. I’ve wanted to spend some time researching the history of Memphis, to understand how its neighborhoods and communities formed, their strengths, and the challenges they’ve faced. I plan to spend MLK Day doing this research and reflecting on what I learn.”
- Kasia Mitchell, program coordinator

“Helping others by running errands and providing transportation for those who don’t or can’t drive.” – Ursula Leflore, administrative specialist

“I am excited to share the afternoon with Memphis Grizzlies fans at the NBA game versus the Golden State Warriors. The game will include a focus on Dr. King’s legacy and influence. This will be my first time attending the game on this important day. However, leading up to the game, I am looking forward to volunteering for community service activities organized by St. Jude.” – Heather Brandt, director

The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program’s Path to a Bright Future campaign spotlights the benefits of on-time HPV vaccination to prevent cancer in children ages 9–12. The campaign also raises awareness of the dangers of HPV pre-cancers and cancers.

Join us:

Get your child vaccinated against HPV by their 13th birthday: If you or your child is in the recommended age range (ages 9–26 and possibly until age 45), get vaccinated.
Encourage others to get their children vaccinated: Normalize HPV vaccination as cancer prevention.
Share the facts: HPV vaccination is safe, effective, and durable. It prevents 6 types of cancer.

Learn more and join the campaign.