Links to NCI Materials

On June 8, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a new vaccine to prevent infection from four types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Two of the HPV types targeted by the vaccine (HPV-16 and HPV-18) are responsible for about 70 percent of the cases of cervical cancer worldwide. The other two HPV types (HPV-6 and HPV-11) cause approximately 90 percent of the cases of genital warts. The vaccine, made by Merck & Co., Inc., is based on laboratory research and technology developed at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI played a pivotal role in what holds promise to be a major public health success story. NCI continues to conduct research on HPV and cervical cancer.

The links on this page and in the next sections provide more information about HPV, vaccines, and cervical cancer.

For answers to your questions about HPV and cervical cancer, contact an information specialist with NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) by calling 1-800-4-CANCER or by using NCI's LiveHelp ¹ text chat service.

About HPV Vaccines Statement from the National Cancer Institute on FDA Approval of the HPV Vaccine ²
Nearly two decades ago, researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other institutions began searching for the underlying causes of cervical cancer. That scientific quest led to today's approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the vaccine Gardasil™, which protects against infection from the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause the majority of cervical cancers worldwide.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines ³
A fact sheet about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for the prevention of infection with certain types of HPV, which is the major cause of cervical cancer.

Understanding Cancer Series: HPV Vaccine ⁴
This tutorial, part of the Understanding Cancer Series, discusses human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the use of a vaccine to protect against future HPV infection.