Karen Canfell

Last updated

Professor
Karen Canfell
AC FAHMS
Personal details
NationalityAustralian
Occupation Epidemiologist, cancer researcher

Karen Canfell is an Australian epidemiologist and cancer researcher.

Contents

After being awarded a D.Phil. from Oxford in 2004 with a thesis entitled Use of hormone replacement therapy as a potential co-factor in the neoplastic progression of HPV-related cervical disease, [1] Canfell returned to Australia to work for the Cancer Council in Sydney where she continued to work on cervical cancer in particular [2] [3] [4] and all its ramifications, as well as the epidemiology of breast [5] [6] and other cancers. [7] [8] [9]

With the advent of HPV vaccines and the mass HPV vaccination programs in Australia for girls (starting in 2007) and boys (starting in 2013) to prevent HPV infection, her interests turned to monitoring the effects of such programs, [10] appropriate screening for cervical cancer in Australia [11] and other countries. [12] [13] [14] A major focus has been how to do this effectively in developing and low-income countries [15] [16] [17] as well as in high-income countries. [18] [19]

Together with her team, her work was fundamental in Australia making the 2017 transition of their national cervical screening program from cytology (pap smears) to a 5-yearly HPV DNA-based screening, [20] [21] and her work both with respect to other countries and in Australia [22] means that Australia is on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2028. [23]

Career

Canfell worked for the NSW Cancer Council from approximately 2004 to 2011. [24] [7] By 2012 Canfell was affiliated with both the Cancer Research Division of the Cancer Council and the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. [16] [25] By 2013 she was a professor at UNSW (Prince of Wales Clinical School) [18] and continued there until at least 2019. [26]

From approximately 2020 she has been the director of The Daffodil Centre at the University of Sydney (a joint venture with the Cancer Council). [20] She is a co-leader of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cervical Cancer Elimination Modelling Consortium. [26] [20]

Awards

In 2019 she was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science, [27] and in 2020 won an Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator grant award for leadership in Health Services Research. [20] In 2015 she won the NHMRC National Award for Research Excellence and was also nominated that year as a Woman of Influence by Westpac and the Australian Financial Review. [28]

In 2021 she was invited to give the prestigious Richard Doll Seminar at Oxford where she spoke as co-leader of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cervical Cancer Elimination Modelling Consortium on the topic of the WHO's strategy for the elimination of cervical cancer [29] (The road to cervical cancer elimination). [30] [31]

Canfell was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours for "eminent service to medicine as an epidemiologist, particularly through cancer research, to tertiary education, and as a mentor and leader". [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pap test</span> Cervical screening test to detect potential cancers

The Papanicolaou test is a method of cervical screening used to detect potentially precancerous and cancerous processes in the cervix or, more rarely, anus. Abnormal findings are often followed up by more sensitive diagnostic procedures and, if warranted, interventions that aim to prevent progression to cervical cancer. The test was independently invented in the 1920s by the Greek physician Georgios Papanikolaou and named after him. A simplified version of the test was introduced by the Canadian obstetrician Anna Marion Hilliard in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cervical cancer</span> Cancer arising from the cervix

Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain or pain during sexual intercourse. While bleeding after sex may not be serious, it may also indicate the presence of cervical cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human papillomavirus infection</span> Human disease

Human papillomavirus infection is caused by a DNA virus from the Papillomaviridae family. Many HPV infections cause no symptoms and 90% resolve spontaneously within two years. In some cases, an HPV infection persists and results in either warts or precancerous lesions. These lesions, depending on the site affected, increase the risk of cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, mouth, tonsils, or throat. Nearly all cervical cancer is due to HPV, and two strains – HPV16 and HPV18 – account for 70% of all cases. HPV16 is responsible for almost 90% of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers. Between 60% and 90% of the other cancers listed above are also linked to HPV. HPV6 and HPV11 are common causes of genital warts and laryngeal papillomatosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anal cancer</span> Medical condition

Anal cancer is a cancer which arises from the anus, the distal opening of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms may include bleeding from the anus or a lump near the anus. Other symptoms may include pain, itchiness, or discharge from the anus. A change in bowel movements may also occur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia</span> Medical condition

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), also known as cervical dysplasia, is the abnormal growth of cells on the surface of the cervix that could potentially lead to cervical cancer. More specifically, CIN refers to the potentially precancerous transformation of cells of the cervix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HPV vaccine</span> Class of vaccines against human papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines intended to provide acquired immunity against infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The first HPV vaccine became available in 2006. Currently there are six licensed HPV vaccines: three bivalent, two quadrivalent, and one nonavalent vaccine All have excellent safety profiles and are highly efficacious, or have met immunobridging standards. All of them protect against HPV types 16 and 18, which are together responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases globally. The quadrivalent vaccines provide additional protection against HPV types 6 and 11. The nonavalent provides additional protection against HPV types 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58. It is estimated that HPV vaccines may prevent 70% of cervical cancer, 80% of anal cancer, 60% of vaginal cancer, 40% of vulvar cancer, and show more than 90% effectiveness in preventing HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers. They also protect against penile cancer. They additionally prevent genital warts, with the quadrivalent and nonavalent vaccines providing virtually complete protection. The WHO recommends a one or two-dose schedule for girls aged 9-14 years, the same for girls and women aged 15-20 years, and two doses with a 6-month interval for women older than 21 years. The vaccines provide protection for at least five to ten years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardasil</span> Human papillomavirus vaccine

Gardasil is an HPV vaccine for use in the prevention of certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). It was developed by Merck & Co. High-risk human papilloma virus (hr-HPV) genital infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection among women. The HPV strains that Gardasil protects against are sexually transmitted, specifically HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. HPV types 16 and 18 cause an estimated 70% of cervical cancers, and are responsible for most HPV-induced anal, vulvar, vaginal, and penile cancer cases. HPV types 6 and 11 cause an estimated 90% of genital warts cases. HPV type 16 is responsible for almost 90% of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers, and the prevalence is higher in males than females. Though Gardasil does not treat existing infection, vaccination is still recommended for HPV-positive individuals, as it may protect against one or more different strains of the disease.

Cervarix is a vaccine against certain types of cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV).

Margaret Anne Stanley, OBE FMedSc, is a British virologist and epithelial biologist. She attended the Universities of London, Bristol, and Adelaide. As of 2018, she is an Emeritus Professor of Epithelial Biology in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and an honorary fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. Stanley is a research scientist in virology focusing on the human papillomavirus (HPV). Her research work has led to new scientific findings on HPV. Additionally, she uses her expertise on HPV to serve on multiple advisory committees and journal editorial boards.

Dame Valerie Beral AC DBE FRS FRCOG FMedSci was an Australian-born British epidemiologist, academic and a preeminent specialist in breast cancer epidemiology. She was Professor of Epidemiology, a Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford and was the Head of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford and Cancer Research UK from 1989.

The Million Women Study is a study of women’s health analysing data from more than one million women aged 50 and over, led by Dame Valerie Beral and a team of researchers at the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford. It is a collaborative project between Cancer Research UK and the National Health Service (NHS), with additional funding from the Medical Research Council (UK).

Peter Christian Gøtzsche is a Danish physician, medical researcher, and former leader of the Nordic Cochrane Center at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a co-founder of the Cochrane Collaboration and has written numerous reviews for the organization. His membership in Cochrane was terminated by its Governing Board of Trustees on 25 September 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gøtzsche was criticised for spreading disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

An anal Pap smear is the anal counterpart of the cervical Pap smear. It is used for the early detection of anal cancer. Some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause anal cancer. Other HPV types cause anogenital warts. Cigarette smokers, men who have sex with men, individuals with a history of immunosuppression and women with a history of cervical, vaginal and vulval cancer are at increased risk of getting anal cancer. Vaccination against HPV before initial sexual exposure can reduce the risk of anal cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cervical screening</span> Type of medical screening

Cervical cancer screening is a medical screening test designed to identify risk of cervical cancer. Cervical screening may involve looking for viral DNA, and/or to identify abnormal, potentially precancerous cells within the cervix as well as cells that have progressed to early stages of cervical cancer. One goal of cervical screening is to allow for intervention and treatment so abnormal lesions can be removed prior to progression to cancer. An additional goal is to decrease mortality from cervical cancer by identifying cancerous lesions in their early stages and providing treatment prior to progression to more invasive disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jian Zhou</span> Chinese virologist and cancer researcher

Jian Zhou was a Chinese virologist and cancer researcher, who with fellow researcher Ian Frazer, invented Gardasil and Cervarix, the vaccines for stimulating human immunological resistance to the cervical cancer-inducing human papilloma virus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gynecologic cancer disparities in the United States</span>

Gynecologic cancer disparities in the United States refer to differences in incidence, prevalence, and mortality from gynecologic cancers between population groups. The five main types of gynecologic cancer include cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer. For patients with these and other gynecologic malignancies within the United States, disparities across the care continuum by socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic background have been previously identified and studied. The causes behind these disparities are multifaceted and a complex interplay of systemic differences in health as well as individual patient factors such as cultural, educational, and economic barriers.

Anne Szarewski was a doctor who helped improve how cervical screening samples are tested and was involved in developing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HPV Prevention and Control Board</span>

The HPV Prevention and Control Board, founded in 2015, is an independent group of international experts supported by unrestricted grants from the pharmaceutical industry that bring together key professionals, groups and government officials to deal with issues related to screening and prevention programmes for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the persistence of which may lead to cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women living in low-resource settings. The Board focusses on preventing cervical cancer in these countries by promoting the sharing of information on cervical screening and HPV vaccination, which by 2014 had reached only around 3% of eligible girls in low income countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Ghana</span> Medical condition

Human Papillomavirus in Ghana; each year about 3,000 Ghanaian women are diagnosed cervical cancer caused by Human Papillomavirus, HPV. It is estimated that 2,000 women die out of the 3000 annually.

Current estimates indicates that over 24,000 new cases of cancer are recorded each year at Ghana. In 2020, 15,802 Ghanaians died from cancer. A 2015 study in Kumasi recorded breast and cervical cancer raked high records among females. Prostate cancer recorded the highest among males. Breast, liver and cervical were leading in both sexes.

References

  1. ↑ Karen Canfell (2004), Use of hormone replacement therapy as a potential co-factor in the neoplastic progression of HPV-related cervical disease, Wikidata   Q111598767
  2. ↑ Karen Canfell; Valerie Beral; Jane Green; Rebecca Cameron; Krys Baker; Anna Brown (1 January 2006). "The agreement between self-reported cervical smear abnormalities and screening programme records". Journal of Medical Screening. 13 (2): 72–75. doi:10.1258/096914106777589687. ISSN   0969-1413. PMID   16792828. Wikidata   Q50725908.
  3. ↑ Karen Canfell; Freddy Sitas; Valerie Beral (1 November 2006). "Cervical cancer in Australia and the United Kingdom: comparison of screening policy and uptake, and cancer incidence and mortality". Medical Journal of Australia . 185 (9): 482–486. doi:10.5694/J.1326-5377.2006.TB00661.X. ISSN   0025-729X. PMID   17137451. Wikidata   Q44359122.
  4. ↑ Karen Canfell; Yoon Jung Kang; Mark Clements; Aye Myat Moa; Valerie Beral (1 January 2008). "Normal endometrial cells in cervical cytology: systematic review of prevalence and relation to significant endometrial pathology". Journal of Medical Screening. 15 (4): 188–198. doi:10.1258/JMS.2008.008069. ISSN   0969-1413. PMID   19106259. Wikidata   Q37357523.
  5. ↑ Karen Canfell; Emily Banks; Aye M Moa; Valerie Beral (1 June 2008). "Decrease in breast cancer incidence following a rapid fall in use of hormone replacement therapy in Australia". Medical Journal of Australia . 188 (11): 641–644. ISSN   0025-729X. PMID   18513172. Wikidata   Q46237149.
  6. ↑ Karen Canfell; Emily Banks; Mark Clements; Yoon Jung Kang; Aye Moa; Bruce Armstrong; Valerie Beral (15 February 2009). "Sustained lower rates of HRT prescribing and breast cancer incidence in Australia since 2003". Breast Cancer Research and Treatment . 117 (3): 671–673. doi:10.1007/S10549-009-0331-3. ISSN   0167-6806. PMID   19219631. Wikidata   Q83357977.
  7. 1 2 Ju-Fang Shi; Karen Canfell; Jie-Bin Lew; You-Lin Qiao (10 June 2011). "The burden of cervical cancer in China: synthesis of the evidence". International Journal of Cancer . 130 (3): 641–652. doi:10.1002/IJC.26042. ISSN   0020-7136. PMID   21387308. Wikidata   Q37851067.
  8. ↑ Freddy Sitas; Alison Gibberd; Clare Kahn; et al. (30 October 2013). "Cancer incidence and mortality in people aged less than 75 years: changes in Australia over the period 1987-2007". Cancer Epidemiology . 37 (6): 780–787. doi:10.1016/J.CANEP.2013.09.010. ISSN   1877-7821. PMID   24183782. Wikidata   Q51188262.
  9. ↑ Marjolein J E Greuter; Xiang-Ming Xu; Jie-Bin Lew; Evelien Dekker; Ernst J Kuipers; Karen Canfell; Gerrit A Meijer; Veerle M. Coupé (31 October 2013). "Modeling the Adenoma and Serrated pathway to Colorectal CAncer (ASCCA)". Risk Analysis . 34 (5): 889–910. doi:10.1111/RISA.12137. ISSN   1539-6924. PMID   24172539. Wikidata   Q86613223.
  10. ↑ Karen Canfell (24 March 2010). "Monitoring HPV vaccination programmes". The BMJ . 340: c1666. doi:10.1136/BMJ.C1666. ISSN   0959-8138. PMID   20335330. Wikidata   Q83900358.
  11. ↑ Prudence Creighton; Jie-Bin Lew; Mark Clements; Megan Smith; Kirsten Howard; Suzanne Dyer; Sarah Lord; Karen Canfell (26 November 2010). "Cervical cancer screening in Australia: modelled evaluation of the impact of changing the recommended interval from two to three years". BMC Public Health . 10: 734. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-734 . ISSN   1471-2458. PMC   3001736 . PMID   21110881. Wikidata   Q33756785.
  12. ↑ Karen Canfell (1 September 2010). "Models of cervical screening in the era of human papillomavirus vaccination". Sexual Health. 7 (3): 359–367. doi:10.1071/SH10016. ISSN   1448-5028. PMID   20719228. Wikidata   Q37780816.
  13. ↑ Karen Canfell; Ju-Fang Shi; Jie-Bin Lew; et al. (4 January 2011). "Prevention of cervical cancer in rural China: evaluation of HPV vaccination and primary HPV screening strategies". Vaccine . 29 (13): 2487–2494. doi:10.1016/J.VACCINE.2010.12.085. ISSN   0264-410X. PMID   21211586. Wikidata   Q58299168.
  14. ↑ Ju-Fang Shi; Karen Canfell; Jie-Bin Lew; et al. (13 June 2011). "Evaluation of primary HPV-DNA testing in relation to visual inspection methods for cervical cancer screening in rural China: an epidemiologic and cost-effectiveness modelling study". BMC Cancer . 11: 239. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-11-239 . ISSN   1471-2407. PMC   3141766 . PMID   21668946. Wikidata   Q33930993.
  15. ↑ Margaret Urban; Emily Banks; Sam Egger; Karen Canfell; Dianne O'Connell; Valerie Beral; Freddy Sitas (6 March 2012). "Injectable and oral contraceptive use and cancers of the breast, cervix, ovary, and endometrium in black South African women: case-control study". PLOS MEDICINE . 9 (3): e1001182. doi: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PMED.1001182 . ISSN   1549-1277. PMC   3295825 . PMID   22412354. Wikidata   Q34192784.
  16. 1 2 Ju-Fang Shi; Jun-Feng Chen; Karen Canfell; et al. (24 May 2012). "Estimation of the costs of cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment in rural Shanxi Province, China: a micro-costing study". BMC Health Services Research . 12: 123. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-12-123 . ISSN   1472-6963. PMC   3461448 . PMID   22624619. Wikidata   Q34280370.
  17. ↑ Karen Canfell; Jane J Kim; Marc Brisson; et al. (30 January 2020). "Mortality impact of achieving WHO cervical cancer elimination targets: a comparative modelling analysis in 78 low-income and lower-middle-income countries". The Lancet . 395 (10224): 591–603. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30157-4. ISSN   0140-6736. PMC   7043006 . PMID   32007142. Wikidata   Q89481201.
  18. 1 2 Leonardo Simonella; Karen Canfell (6 July 2013). "The impact of a two- versus three-yearly cervical screening interval recommendation on cervical cancer incidence and mortality: an analysis of trends in Australia, New Zealand, and England". Cancer Causes & Control . 24 (9): 1727–1736. doi:10.1007/S10552-013-0250-9. ISSN   0957-5243. PMID   23832659. Wikidata   Q87055586.
  19. ↑ Karen Canfell; Harrell Chesson; Shalini L Kulasingam; Johannes Berkhof; Mireia Diaz; Jane J Kim (1 November 2012). "Modeling preventative strategies against human papillomavirus-related disease in developed countries". Vaccine . 30 Suppl 5: F157-67. doi:10.1016/J.VACCINE.2012.06.091. ISSN   0264-410X. PMC   3783354 . PMID   23199959. Wikidata   Q37198208.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "2020 Research Excellence Awards | NHMRC". www.nhmrc.gov.au. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Professor Karen Canfell - C4 – Cervical Cancer Control" . Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  22. ↑ Michaela Hall; Kate Simms; Jie-Bin Lew; Megan Smith; Julia Ml Brotherton; Marion Saville; Ian Frazer; Karen Canfell (2 October 2018). "The projected timeframe until cervical cancer elimination in Australia: a modelling study". Lancet Public Health. 4 (1): e19–e27. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30183-X. ISSN   2468-2667. PMID   30291040. Wikidata   Q57058899.
  23. ↑ "Australia is on track to beat the world in eliminating cervical cancer". Australian Financial Review. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  24. ↑ Usha Salagame; Karen Canfell; Emily Banks (1 May 2011). "An epidemiological overview of the relationship between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer". Expert review of endocrinology & metabolism. 6 (3): 397–409. doi:10.1586/EEM.11.31. ISSN   1744-6651. PMID   30754116. Wikidata   Q91504681.
  25. ↑ Nayyereh Aminisani; Bruce K Armstrong; Sam Egger; Karen Canfell (23 October 2012). "Impact of organised cervical screening on cervical cancer incidence and mortality in migrant women in Australia". BMC Cancer . 12: 491. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-12-491 . ISSN   1471-2407. PMC   3573959 . PMID   23092207. Wikidata   Q34455506.
  26. 1 2 "Professor Karen Canfell". research.unsw.edu.au. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  27. ↑ "Academy elects new Fellows and discusses global pandemic threat at annual meeting". AAHMS - Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  28. ↑ "Karen Canfell". The Conversation. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  29. ↑ Ophira Ginsburg; Partha Basu; Sharon Kapambwe; Karen Canfell (February 2021). "Eliminating cervical cancer in the COVID-19 era" (PDF). Nature Cancer. 2 (2): 133–134. doi:10.1038/S43018-021-00178-9. ISSN   2662-1347. Wikidata   Q111610848.
  30. ↑ "Richard Doll Seminar 2021: The road to cervical cancer elimination (Karen Canfell)". YouTube .
  31. ↑ "Richard Doll Seminar" . Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  32. ↑ "Professor Karen Canfell". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
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