TMC PULSE

T M C » P U L S E | J U N E 2 0 1 8 35 diagnosis and specialized care. Treatment for oropharyngeal cancers varies depending on the case and often involves a mul- tidisciplinary team of clinicians, as well as some form of combined modality therapy such as radiation and chemotherapy. In the future, Sturgis sees novel therapies, including immunotherapy options, changing the landscape of treat- ment protocols. Karni hopes UTHealth's ded- icated HPV-related throat cancer program will carry patients through the entire arc of treatment by offering minimally invasive robotic surgery for qualifying cases, as well as annual community-wide screen- ing clinics, rehabilitation therapists, and numerous other specialists. "We want to think about cancer the way Target thinks about shop- ping or the way the best airlines think about flying," Karni said. "We designed a program that is patient-centered. We asked, 'What does the patient need on their fourth week of radiation? What do they need on their third month post- radiation? How can we get that into one clinic space?' It's a large team and it's all centered around this one disease." 47th in the nation In 2006, an HPV vaccine named Gardasil hit the market. It was originally intended to prevent HPV in females and, ultimately, HPV-related cervical cancer. But as scientists learned more about HPV— first that males could be carriers and later that it causes cancer in men, as well—public health professionals and clinicians unanimously recom- mended the vaccine to everyone. The CDC recommends all young women through the age of 26 and all young men through age 21 receive two doses for the vaccine to be effective. And it is. A recent report pub- lished in May by Cochrane, a global independent network of clinical researchers and health care profes- sionals, concluded that the HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer in young women, especially when they are vaccinated between the ages of 15 and 26. Which begs the question: Will the vaccine protect young men against the development of oropha- ryngeal cancers? "There is a lot more data on cervical cancer in women and the vaccine than there is on head and neck cancer in men and the vaccine, but what data exists suggests that it is going to be a very effective inter- vention," Sikora said. Yet despite scientific evidence that prophylactic HPV vaccination of children and young adults will drastically reduce HPV-related cancers, vaccination rates in the U.S. remain alarmingly low—and Texas ranks 47th. Even more, several gen- erations did not have the vaccine available to them and are currently at risk for HPV-related cancer. As Karni said, it is alarming. "Because the median age of oropharynx cancer related to HPV is about 55 and, in some studies, 60, and because the vaccine does not seem to work in individuals who have already been exposed, the benefits of vaccination on HPV- related cancer will not be realized for several decades," Sturgis said. "Even if we vaccinate 100 percent of our boys and girls tomorrow, we have a whole generation or two who are at risk for this cancer and cannot do anything about it." Courville endured six rounds of chemotherapy and 33 daily rounds of radiation to treat his cancer. He lost a year of his life, 100 pounds, his taste buds and salivary glands, and can no longer grow his full beard— but his therapy was successful. He has now made it his life's mission to inform the public about the importance of the vaccine as well as ongoing advocacy and research surrounding HPV-related cancers. "If you can educate the public and educate the parents, they will vaccinate their kids," Courville said. "And if we can vaccinate this gen- eration, we could eliminate these types of cancers." • Experienced and compassionate private sitters • Serving adults of all ages, pediatrics, PICU, new moms and also C.P. 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