It would be the second vaccine against a major human cancer, following a hepatitis B vaccine that prevents primary liver cancer. If successful, it could pave the way to defeat for the second most prevalent cancer among women.
Breast cancer is the first.
WHO scientists were meeting this week in Geneva to take stock of developments. On Friday they said there are several candidates for such a vaccine. Eighty 80 per cent of these occur in developing countries. Some of the research groups are looking at creating a vaccine that prevents the cancer developing at all. Others are developing vaccines that would prevent recurrence of cancer or tackle it once it has developed.