HPV vaccine – prevention better than cure

After last year’s concerted effort to vaccinate girls aged 12 with the HPV vaccine to combat the future possibility of cervical cancer, a cancer charity has now called for all 12-year-old boys to receive the same vaccination too. In boys, the HPV vaccine can protect recipients against developing throat cancer in later life, as well as a range of other cancers too. At the moment only Australia routinely offers universal HPV vaccination to both boys and girls.

HPV stands for human papillomavirus, which is a very common infection that is mainly transmitted sexually. It has been linked in particular to the development of cervical cancer in young women, as well as genital warts and herpes in both males and females. It does, however, have a slightly more tenuous link to throat cancer, although this link isn’t as strong as its connection with cervical cancer.

However The Throat Cancer Foundation say that providing young boys with the vaccination could immunise them against developing what can be a very difficult form of cancer to treat in later life.

Professor Keavney’s research focus is on the genetic epidemiology of complex cardiovascular disease, where he has contributed both to the identification of robust associations between various genetic polymorphisms and disease, and to the development of now widely adopted methodologies. Alongside his extensive consulting work and international advisory roles in the best practice of cardiology around the world, he also continues to work within the field as well as training the next generation of cardiovascular specialists.

Dean and Vice-President of the University’s Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences and Director of MAHSC, Professor Ian Jacobs, has expressed his delight at having such a renowned expert in the field of cardiology heading up the new institute, and sees it as a major step forward for the advancement of cardiac studies not just in Manchester, but in the UK. “This is a key step in our plans to continue building a world-leading centre of excellence for research in cardiovascular sciences and to work with our NHS partners through MAHSC to deliver outstanding clinical care for our region” he explained. “Our initiative and partnership in cardiovascular research means that we will be well positioned to compete for a prestigious NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in due course.”

In keeping with the current propensity to set up ‘centres of excellence’, Manchester University is the latest to join a long list of luminaries by appointing a top cardiology professor to head up its new Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences. The institute takes its place in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, and is designed to lead an initiative to develop groundbreaking cardiac research.

As we move deeper into the 21^st century it seems that there are few aspects of our personal and professional lives that are not influenced by digital technology. And for anyone working for the NHS, from doctors and nurses to admin and support staff, this is set to become even truer.

According to a senior figure at the NHS commissioning board, the NHS may shift entirely from paper-based communications to digital systems as early as 2015. Nursing Times reports that Tim Kelsey, Director of Patient and Public Engagement, Insight and Informatics, said he was: “…pushing for the end of 2015 to be the moment that we eradicate paper from the NHS.” He went on to say that the switch to digital methods of communications would mean the end of lost records and referral letters.