OPRAH SHOW says NO to HPV in Cervix Cancer

SO, the Oprah TV show did a piece on issues related to the HPV/cervical cancer vaccines. Her 'trusted' doctor on the show basically said their is NO real threat of HPV causing cervical cancer and stated the vaccines were a waste and she sited some other random views that have no strong science behind them. In fact, what her TV Doctor said is 100% different then the views of the Center's for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, the NCI research and the vast majority of quality minded cancer researches worldwide!! While none of these agencies are perfect, just like none of us are, they can not ALL come up with the same final views along with cancer researchers worldwide!!! (Unless you think vast amounts of people and quality scientists conspire against you..which is CRAZY!) PLUS, she did not even mention the ongoing IMPORTANCE of the newer more accurate Pap tests for EARLY DETECTION of Cervical Cancer and HPV testing when recommended by a clinician. One would think when a person is in a responsible position on TV before so many peoplle, that they would want to get out the right facts!

We (NCCC) have sent to Oprah our view of her show and we hope you will too!
We told Oprah in our letter to her that if she allows it, we will bring with us 100 wommen that have or had cervical cancer and HPV along with leading researchers to have a REAL CONVERSATION about cervical cancer and HPV! PLEASE find the time and write Oprah too!

I welcome your views. We can disucss this for a short period of time here in this thread...but then, lets make sure we focus our community back to helping the women and families that are battling the real issues related to cervical cancer and HPV!

Alan and the NCCC

By ang425
Posted January 19, 2008 at 8:43 am
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I, too saw Oprah that day and was stunned to hear what the doctor had to say. As someone who has been diagnosed with Cervical cancer after ONE abnormal pap, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She also seemed to think that a depressed immune system had more to do with developing cancer then HPV.....as someone with a daughter ( who I plan to get vaccinated when age appropiate) I found her statements very irresponsible....I hope those of you who feel the same way will take the above directive and let OPRAH know...I know I will.

By flowershoplady
Posted January 19, 2008 at 9:34 am
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i am SO disappointed to hear this! and SO disappointed with both oprah and dr. christiane northrup, the doctor that said no to the vaccine, and minimized cervical cancer, cervical dysplasia, hpv, and gave her opinion which is in direct contradiction to what is accepted by most of the medical profession!

i didn't see the show, but here's the link to oprah's website on what dr. northrup said:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/20080117/slide_yourbody_nor thrup_103.jhtml

oprah and her show influence so many women and it is awful to consider how many women she has just incorrectly informed about hpv and cervical cancer.

yes, let's all write to oprah, and educate her, and tell her we'll all go on the show to tell her the correct information to share with her audience! i'm also going to write to dr. northrup.

i'm shaking my head....but prepared to write the letter! and...hmmmm....i'm just remembering that there was a news article that oprah just slipped in a new popularity poll this past week, to number 2, and ellen degeneres is number 1, so maybe a letter to ms. degeneres is in order.

By meggy
Posted January 19, 2008 at 11:28 am
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I sent my letter in today via the Oprah website.

I read this on her website - "Dr. Northrup would rather see the attention HPV is receiving directed elsewhere. "You see HPV associated with abnormal Pap smears in women who are on immunosuppressant drugs who have had kidney transplants or who have HIV disease."

I don't have HIV, I didn't have a kidney transplant and I am not on immunouppressant drugs and yet I have/had HPV and was treated for cervical cancer from Oct - Dec.

I wish I had seen the show but I was pretty upset with what I read on her website.

Hope everyone gets a chance to read the comments if you didn't see the show and send her their opinion.

Kate

By corellin
Posted January 19, 2008 at 12:19 pm
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Hi Alan,
It's no wonder that Oprah's docor said HPV was no big deal. I just re-read the CDC website HPV fact sheet (which also does not mention the vaccine under ways to prevent), and there's nothing in there that would cause me any alarm that HPV could hurt me in any way. The general message in the community, including the CDC, is that almost everyone gets it, it almost always just goes away on its own, and that regular pap screening can almost always prevent cancer. I think that until those general messages are changed -- messages that downplay the risk and morbidity of HPV, people like Oprah and her doctor are going to continue to say that HPV is not a big deal and that routine pap screenings have already solved the problem.

By ladyluck
Posted January 19, 2008 at 12:25 pm
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I am very upset by the negligent comments mede by that Dr. Northrop. And if she is really a doctor that Oprah herself uses for her own care. My only opinion to her would be- Oprah, ya better get a new doctor. she was extremely wreckless with her comments, and it is Oprahs responsibility because of the influence she has, to promote the real truth about this virus, and unfortunately she really wasn't using her influence to its potential - Saving Lives. I Am very disturbed with this, and if I don't receive a response to the email I sent, I will boycott Oprah. And I will cancel my subscriptions to O magazine and O at home. I am very Disturbed by Dr. Northrops lack of consideration, and failure to educate millions of people, and by Oprah allowing this. What A SHAME!!!!!!!!

By flowershoplady
Posted January 19, 2008 at 1:35 pm
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Here's the letter I am sending to her via regular mail, and i sent an abbreviated version (less than 2000 characters) via her email on her website. let's send 100's of letters!!! please don't hesitate to copy mine...just copy and paste, include your name, and mail!!!

Dear Oprah and Oprah Winfrey Show staff:

I am very disappointed that you had Dr. Christine Northrup on your show providing incorrect and misleading information about cervical cancer, HPV (human papilloma virus), and the Gardasil vaccine.

I urge you to have experts on HPV and cervical cancer on your show so that you can correct the messages going out to your audience.

The American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, Center for Disease Control, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as most other medical research institutions support a view that is in direct contradiction to almost everything that Dr. Northrup said on your show.

Here are some key points:
• Dr. Northrup says “only 3500 women a year die of cervical cancer…..so we’re doing very well with Pap smears and other screening tests.”
o FACT: According to the American Cancer Society, 11,150 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2007, and 3,670 will die from cervical cancer in 2007. Non invasive cervical cancer occurs 4 times that rate. In addition, according to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC), 473,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide with 253,500 deaths annually.
 Comment: How can one say “only” to those 3600 women? And, what about the 11,000 women needing surgery and treatment for cervical cancer and the 40,000 women with non-invasive cervical cancer? And, what about the world outside the U.S.?
 Comment: Are you aware that the rate of cervical cancer in Hispanic women is twice that of non-Hispanic white women? And, the rate for African American women is 50% more than in white women?

• “Nobody has every proved …..that HPV is the cause of cervical cancer.”
o FACT: The American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute state that HPV is the cause of 99.8% of cervical cancers. This is backed by extensive research.
• “I’m a little against my own profession. My own profession feels that everyone should be vaccinated.”
o FACT: Exactly. Let’s listen to the vast majority of experts and knowledgeable doctors who understand the facts.
• “You see HPV associated with abnormal Pap smears in women who are on immunosuppressant drugs who have had kidney transplants or who have HIV disease.”
o FACT: This statement is simply false.
 Comment: Clearly, Dr. Northrup is not currently practicing gynecology or she would see that this is false. I would like to gather 100+ women with cervical dysplasia and/or cancer, all with HPV, none of whom have these other health conditions.
• “There are over 100 different HPV types and this vaccine only targets four of them.”
o FACT: The Gardasil vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV that are responsible for about 70% of all cervical cancers and most vaginal and vulvar cancers. It also protects against 2 other HPV strains that cause about 90% of cases of genital warts.
 Comment: The vaccine is a great start to protection against cervical cancer. 70% is better than no protection!

Please have doctors as guests on the show that are well educated on the facts! We need to have women informed about HPV, cervical cancer, and the vaccine. I look forward to your taking the steps to correct the misleading and false information that was conveyed on your show.

By adavis1477
Posted January 20, 2008 at 10:52 am
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I am extremely disappointed in the comments made by Dr. Northup on the Oprah show. Especially after those of us who attended the conference tryed to get on the show to talk about cervical cancer. I have sent an e-mail to the show expressing my disappointment. I hope that Oprah will step up and bring some experts on the show to educate people about the facts not just some doctors opinion.

By flowershoplady
Posted January 20, 2008 at 3:54 pm
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hi, alan! what about the nccc doing a mass mailing/email to all its members to get some energy behind everyone writing to oprah to object to the incorrect and misleading information that was given in this show?

By Laurie1
Posted January 20, 2008 at 11:31 pm
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Oh my gosh I know I saw that show to and just about came unglued. I have been writing her for the past year and have had no response on this subject. I'm not sure why but I guess now we know. I would love to be one of the 100 people. I'm not sure how many people her studio seats but we can fill the entire place or get her to come to us somewhere else. We could fill a stadium i'm sure. How sad is that. I was shocked at the unimportant attitude of that doctor and it really felt like we took a step back. We know the truth and we just have to just keep speaking out and speaking in facts.

thanks for posting

Laurie

By sandra1
Posted January 21, 2008 at 10:53 am
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Unfortunately I did not catch the Oprah show Friday-but I would have loved too! I am stunned at what I am reading about what happened on her show. I cannot believe that these comments were made on national tv. I am ready and willing to participate and meet Oprah on her show and talk about my situation. I too was diagnosed with cervical cancer in April 2007. I am one of those statistics where I routinely did my pap tests yearly and took care of my health, exercised, ate very well, etc......but still got cervical cancer. Every professional told me that HPV is a leading cause of cervical cancer. While the health professionals are not sure if that was my case, early prevention, regular pap tests and taking care of your health is vital for detecting cervical cancer.

By Esra
Posted January 22, 2008 at 8:52 am
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I am glad I didn't see it because I think I would loose it totally. I wrote to Oprah a while back about shedding light to this but obviously she is clueless and so is her "so called" doctor! Remember she is the one who made Dr Phil famous and guess what? HE IS NO LONGER LICENSED ANYWHERE IN US AND WAS REPRIMENDED A WHILE BACK FOR HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH A PATIENT!!!! So Oprah, stick to daytime talkshow hosting but DO NOT bring on people who are not qualified to speak regarding on issue that is concerning life or death... nOR POLITICS :))))

By Shawna1974
Posted January 22, 2008 at 1:21 pm
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Oh, this just makes me sick sick sick!!!! This had better be straightened out. She is hurting many people who do not have access to the facts. I will get to writing my letter ASAP. Thanks Alan for the good information. I did not see the show.

Hey there gals! Hope you are all doing well and taking care of your who-who's. :)

By ShaundraNCCC-AZ
Posted January 23, 2008 at 3:06 pm
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Thankfully I didn't see the show. I want to throw up just hearing about what happened.
Maybe we're barking up the wrong tree...as influential as she is, maybe we should think of other avenues to get our message out and continuing to take our stories to the actual media is the best place. They are required to report accurate information and any legitimate agency that doesn't do so, gets called on the carpet.

If we each contact our local (and national) media outlets, surely they'd love a story where women (and men of course Alan) unite en masse to disprove her show's innacuracies?

But for the record...I'm canceling my magazine subscription after I too write her show. I just feel like we've all been punched in the collective gut.

We'll win. This fight is bigger than one talk show host & her misguided physician. Bless you all and keep up the good fight!
Shaundra

By flowershoplady
Posted January 23, 2008 at 9:06 pm
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i think it's great to have the facts reported in media outside of oprah. and, yes, it would be great to see a publication such as the ny times report that oprah had a guest giving out inaccurate information, but how likely is it that that will happen? if someone has the influence and interest to do that, i'd expect it would have happened the day after the tv show aired. we see politicians brought to their knees 'immediately' after major gaffes or inaccuracies, but i don't see that happening with this issue. so i still think it would be worthwhile - and needed - to pursue getting oprah to do a correction on this issue. she is incredibly influential - just look at what she's done with the books she supports. regardless of what any of us think about oprah, people listen to what she says, what her guests say...she's got the tv show, a website, a new cable channel (just to name a few of her media avenues), and she influences a huge percentage of people who now have been told the incorrect information. and, i'm very disappointed with dr. christiane northrup! i have several of her books and i'm still a bit shocked that she would come out with an opinion that she admits doesnt' agree with what most medical professionals support (as fact).

By PJ2
Posted January 24, 2008 at 1:01 am
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I too sent a letter to Oprah voicing my outrage and disgust for her irresponsible actions. I say we back lash against Oprah and take our story elsewhere. Possible looking at her competition, like Tyra, The View or some other venue that would present a factual and honest look at the struggles women with HPV and cervical cancer face!

I personally have never bought into the stuff she pushes on her show, but I am dissappointed because the fact remains that many women in America do listen to Oprah and her presenting these misleading facts does more harm than good. It's not like this a book on the market she wants to make a best seller. These are our lives and they are not to played with. People trust her word and take her at face value.

Let's try another venue and show the worls that Oprah and Dr. Northrop we're wrong.

- PJ

By scoterri
Posted January 24, 2008 at 8:56 am
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I also e-mailed Oprah a letter about this show. I had a really hard time keeping the facts to less that 2000 letters so I wrote twice. You educated me well at that conf. in DC. I really hope she does a rebuttle show. We really need to get accurate info out there and she certainly goofed on that the first go around. Thanks for trying to bring that to her attention NCCC. Terri A.

By ShaundraNCCC-AZ
Posted January 24, 2008 at 8:58 am
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After my husband read Alan's comments and the thread above, he suggested we all write Dr. Northrup and thank her for setting us (NCCC) back 20 years.

Shaundra

By ktelleria
Posted January 24, 2008 at 9:24 pm
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Wow, last year I emailed the Oprah show asking that she pass on information about HPV, Cervical Cancer and the number of women who are associated with this and the support web sites and treatment information out there. I figured she aired info on other female related diseases. Who better than her to get our message out......I figured her staff would do a lot of research before they would allow someone to speak on her show. That is obviously not the case here.

I did not see the show. However, I read the passages on her web site.

So I emailed her again about some of the off the wall statements made and the impact of those statements. I explained that I have never had more than a cold or flu all my life. Never any immune diffenciency, had regular paps since the age of 17, was 38 years old and healthy and happy when, in 2000, I had one abnormal pap and within a month was diagnosed with cervical cancer and undergoing surgery, chemo, internal and external radiation.

I agree, she goofed!

By Esra
Posted January 25, 2008 at 10:37 am
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Good Morning America, Today show and Early Show may be the best places. The more people we can educate the better. Let's HOLD oprah ACCOUNTABLE for a change. Money can't buy everything!

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