To mark World Immunization Week 2021, which is observed on 24–30 April, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is highlighting the links between viruses and cancer. In 2018, more than 1 million cases of cancer are estimated to have been caused by infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or human papillomavirus (HPV). Both HBV and HPV infections can be prevented by vaccines that are safe and efficacious.
Chronic infection with HBV can cause liver cancer. Infection with HPV can cause several different types of head and neck cancer, and HPV infection is the cause of almost all of the approximately 600 000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed worldwide per year. IARC scientists are involved in research projects with partners around the world to scale up the implementation of vaccination programmes and to better understand the links between infections and cancer.
In new videos for World Immunization Week, Dr Partha Basu and Dr Catherine De Martel, scientists in the Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections Branch at IARC, describe the important role that vaccination plays in preventing cancers caused by HBV and HPV infections. They also outline the World Health Organization recommendations on these vaccines and present some IARC projects that will enable increased access to the vaccines, especially for people in low- and middle-income countries.
Use the social media tiles provided below to share information and help raise awareness of the links between vaccine-preventable infections and cancer, and read recent IARC studies on HBV, HPV, and cancer.
VideosVideos
Dr Partha Basu, Scientist, Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections Branch
Dr Catherine de Martel, Scientist, Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections Branch
Webinar
Webinar
World Cancer Report Webinar Series – HPV Vaccination
Dr Gary Clifford, Scientist, Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections Branch
Podcast
Podcast
Global Impact of HPV Vaccination with Elisabete Weiderpass
Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, IARC Director
Social media tiles
Social media tiles
IARC research
Recently published IARC research on HBV, HPV, and cancer
Hepatitis
- New estimates highlight the need to step up the response to hepatitis D
- Global burden of 5 major types of gastrointestinal cancer
- Global burden of cancer attributable to infections in 2018: a worldwide incidence analysis
HPV and cervical cancer