Nuns, warts, viruses, and cancer

Yale J Biol Med. 2015 Jun 1;88(2):127-9. eCollection 2015 Jun.

Abstract

It has been known for more than 150 years that the risk of carcinoma of the uterine cervix correlates with the number of sexual partners. Laboratory and epidemiological evidence demonstrated that infection with certain human papillomavirus (HPV) types initiates the vast majority of, if not all, cervical cancer, as well as a substantial fraction of other cancers, including other anogenital cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. Pap smear testing resulted in a dramatic reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer in the developed world, and HPV vaccination has the potential to eradicate HPV-associated cancer worldwide and represents a major public health breakthrough. The major current challenge is to ensure that HPV vaccines are widely administered.

Keywords: cervical cancer; human papillomaviruses; vaccination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Nuns
  • Papillomaviridae*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / virology
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines / therapeutic use
  • Sexual Behavior*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / virology

Substances

  • Papillomavirus Vaccines