From the Infection to the Immunotherapy in Cervical Cancer: Can We Stop the Natural Course of the Disease?

Daniela Luvero,Salvatore Lopez,Francesco Raspagliesi,Roberto Angioli,Giorgio Bogani

doi:10.3390/vaccines8040597

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in women aged 20–39 years. Persistent infection with oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV) represents the most important risk factor for the development of cervical cancer. Three HPVs vaccines are currently on the global market: bivalent, quadrivalent, and nonavalent. The nonavalent vaccine provides protection against almost 90% of HPV-related CC. Despite availability of primary and secondary prevention measures, CC persists as one of the most common cancers among women around the world. Although CC is a largely preventable disease, management of persistent or recurrent CC no longer amenable to control with surgery or radiation therapy has not improved significantly with the progress of modern chemotherapy and disseminated carcinoma of the cervix remains a discouraging clinical entity with a 1-year survival rate between 10% and 15%. Over the last few years, there has been increasing interest in immunotherapy as a strategy to fight tumors. This article focuses on recent discoveries about the HPV vaccine and immunotherapies in the prevention and treatment of CC, highlighting the future view.

Highlights

Cervical cancer (CC) is most common cause of cancer death in women aged 20–39 years [1]
A collection of inclusion criteria were used for selection of articles from the literature: (1) clinical trials conducted on humans; (2) English language; (3) abstract available; (4) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines
Vaccine produced by Merck (Rahway, NJ, USA)

Summary

Introduction

Cervical cancer (CC) is most common cause of cancer death in women aged 20–39 years [1]. In 1977, Zur Hausen, a German virologist, discovered human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as the major causative agent of cervical cancer [2]. It is well known that HPV infection is necessary for the development of invasive cervical cancer and persistent infection with sexually transmitted oncogenic types of HPV represents the most important risk factor for the development of CC [3]. CC is a largely preventable disease thanks to primary and secondary prevention, survival of persistent or recurrent CC remains poor and still represents a major health problem with a 1-year survival rate between 10% and 15% [4].

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