Anti-cancer drug causes illness

By Kate Sikora and Carly Crawford
The Daily Telegraph
Aug. 21, 2009

Holdren's dream is a reality.ANTI-CANCER drug Gardasil, which has been given to millions of Australians, has caused fainting, nausea, dizziness and blood clots among thousands of US women, a major study has found.

A safety review published in the latest Journal Of The American Medical Association said 12,424 Gardasil vaccine recipients in America had suffered a number of side effects and even death since June 2006.

Of those recorded cases, the study found 772 were considered serious and 1900 involved fainting.

But Australian doctors have warned women not to panic, with the number of reactions still low compared with the millions who receive the vaccine each year.

Invented by Australian scientist Professor Ian Frazer, Gardasil protects against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause 70 per cent of recorded cervical cancer cases.

Since the vaccination program for females aged between 12 and 26 was rolled out two years ago, more than five million doses have been distributed in Australia.

Women are given three shots but some have reported side effects including nausea, temporary blindness and paralysis.

In Australia, there have been 1304 adverse reactions reported.

Family Planning NSW director of research Dr Edith Weisberg said every vaccine came with side effects.

"It's a very safe vaccine and very important because it's one of only two that has any effect on cancer," she said. "It's no different from any other vaccine. It's very important for young women to get this before they are exposed to HPV."

The study found that 32 women who received Gardasil had died but could not find a specific link between the women's deaths and the drug.

Doctors are now being urged to keep recipients in their office for observation for about 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine.

But some suspected side effects have occurred after three months of receiving Gardasil.

"It is one of the most complained (about) vaccines that we receive," Vaccination Information Service's Bronwyn Hancock said. "Doctors don't like to admit there are side effects. This is what happens when you put poison into your body."

The most common side effects reported to Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration have been headaches and skin sensitivity from the injection.

Fortunately for Sue Kemp, her daughter Stephanie never suffered a reaction. "I started Stephanie on it before the Government rolled it out in schools," she said.

"Any protection against cancer has to help."