A 13-year-old girl is given an HPV vaccination in Miami, Florida. Photo: AFP
Cases of head and neck cancer are increasing at a faster rate than other cancers, yet a cure for one of the causes is being turned down too often, according to Whangarei doctor Andrew Miller.
In younger patients especially, HPV infection has recently emerged as an important cause of what can be a disfiguring disease.
HPV immunisation, which is funded for everyone aged between the ages of 9 and 26 - eliminates that risk, as well as the risk of cervical, anal cancer, vaginal cancer, & vulvar cancer.
Dr Andrew Miller is a GP and works for Northland DHB as a Sexual Health Medical Officer.
He is also recovering from stage 4 HPV related head and neck cancer. He describes his type of cancer as particularly awful, as it can often result in facial reconstruction with a complex series of treatment and recovery.
He tells Lynn Freeman that immunisation is a 'no brainer'.
