Kathy Castor Introduces the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act

Last week, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., introduced the "Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New Treatments for HPV Cancers Act (PREVENT HPV Cancers Act)."

The bill "would help prevent cancer and save lives by raising awareness about HPV and HPV-related cancers through a national campaign to educate providers, parents, and the public about the life-saving HPV vaccine. It would also boost resources for a federal initiative to provide access to timely cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for uninsured and underserved individuals."

U.S. Reps. Julia Letlow, R-La., and Kim Schrier, D-Wash., are co-sponsoring the bill.

"The HPV vaccine is safe and effective and can prevent six types of cancers, so we aim to improve vaccination rates, increase public knowledge and save tens of thousands of lives every year," said Castor. "I’m pleased to reintroduce my bipartisan PREVENT HPV Cancers Act with Reps. Letlow and Schrier to ensure all communities know about and have access to the lifesaving HPV vaccine and cancer screenings. I want to thank my friends back home at the Moffit Cancer Center, including Dr. Anna Giuliano, for bringing together advocates across the country with the goal of eliminating HPV-related cancers once and for all."

"Early diagnosis leads to detection and prevention, which is essential when it comes to protecting women's health," said Letlow. "Cancer rates are especially high in Louisiana, and it is important we work to increase awareness to bolster educational resources and prevention measures."

"As a parent and pediatrician, I want to keep my child and my patients safe and healthy. My son has gotten his HPV vaccines, as have my patients; and I know that the most important factor in whether a parent chooses to immunize their child is a conversation with their healthcare provider," said Schrier. "Immunizations are one of the greatest public health tools we have, and they work best when there is widespread use. That's why I’m excited about this bill. It will help spread awareness, so that more people get this cancer preventing vaccine. I am proud to support this effort alongside Rep. Castor."

Castor's office offered some of the reasons why she was championing the bill. The House passed a similar bill in recent years.

"The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes six types of cancers, leading to nearly 36,000 cases of cancer each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile, and oropharynx cancers. Unfortunately, immunization rates are much lower than for other vaccines, with only 62 percent of adolescents aged 13-17 (60 percent of boys and 64 percent of girls) up to date with HPV vaccination in 2021," Castor's office noted.

The bill was sent to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. Senate.

"The science has been clear for years – we have the tools to eliminate HPV-related cancers globally, starting with cervical cancer. Rep Castor has had a longstanding collaboration with us at the Moffitt Cancer Center in promoting interventions to prevent HPV cancers. We are so excited to see that Rep Castor has reintroduced the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act, which will save tens of thousands of US lives per year," said Anna Giuliano, a professor and director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer (CIIRC) at the Moffitt Cancer Center and an American Cancer Society clinical research professor.

Other Supporters include: Dedicated Cancer Centers; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American College of Physicians; American Dental Association; Anal Cancer Foundation; Association for Clinical Oncology; Association of American Cancer Institutes; Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses; Cervivor, Inc.; Children's Hospital Association; Dana-Faber Cancer Institute; Florida Association of Community Health Centers; Florida Medical Association; Head and Neck Cancer Alliance; HealthyWoman; HPV Alliance; Infectious Diseases Society of America; March of Dimes; Moffitt Cancer Center; National Comprehensive Cancer Network; Oncology Nursing Society; Pathfinder; Prevent Cancer Foundation; Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine; Society of Gynecologic Oncology; St. Baldrick's Foundation; Superman HPV; Tampa Bay Black Nurses Association; TogetHER for Health; USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Vaccinate Your Family.