ASPO Abstracts
HPV vaccine attitudes and practices among pediatric oncologists: a national survey
Category: Survivorship & Health Outcomes/Comparative Effectiveness Research
Conference Year: 2020
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Compared to the U.S. general population, childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at increased risk of
human papilloma virus (HPV)-related cancers, yet are under-vaccinated. Many CCS do not transition back to a
pediatrician or primary care physician for preventive care after cancer treatment, but instead continue to see
their oncologist for ongoing care. The aim of this study was to determine HPV vaccine practices and attitudes
among U.S. pediatric oncologists.
Methods: We conducted an emailed, online survey of pediatric oncologists. Physician email addresses were
identified from a paid dataset (SK&A) from IQVIA. Surveys were administered through REDCap.
Results: 195 pediatric oncologists completed the survey. Less than half offered on-site administration of the
HPV vaccine (43%) as compared to 99% for flu, 69% for meningococcal, and 56% for Tdap. Of the 106
physicians who reported not having on-site HPV vaccine, 59% said they would be interested in adding this to
their practice, 24% were not interested, and 17% were not sure. In open ended-responses among those who
were not interested in adding it to their practices, the most common rationale was that HPV vaccine is available
from primary care physicians in the community. Other barriers included perceived cost and time and lack of
nursing staff for vaccine administration. Only 38% of pediatric oncologists agreed that childhood cancer
survivors are at a greater risk of developing HPV-related cancers than the general population. However, 57%
of participants stated that they would like additional training around HPV and effective HPV vaccine
communication.
Conclusions: Despite the increased vulnerability of CCS to secondary HPV-related cancers, this population has
largely been neglected in the research, education, and large-scale HPV vaccine initiatives. Our results indicate
that most pediatric oncologists do not offer the HPV-vaccine on-site and that their knowledge of the increased
risk among CCS is lacking. With the rising incidence of HPV-related cancers, low uptake of HPV vaccination,
and increased susceptibility of CCS to HPV-related disease, targeting this population within the oncology
follow-up setting is both novel and risk-directed.
Keywords: HPV vaccine, childhood cancer survivor, pediatric oncology