HPV infections and cervical cancer prevention. Priorities and new directions. Highlights of EUROGIN 2004 International Expert Meeting, Nice, France, October 21–23, 2004

Abstract

Cervical cancer is caused by infections with a range of high-risk (oncogenic) Human papillomavirus (HPV) types. It seems likely that practically all (>99%) cervical squamous cell carcinomas are linked with these HPV infections. Cervical cancer has an unequal geographic distribution, with the highest global disease burden confined to the developing countries, where the facilities to combat the disease are clearly insufficient. On the other hand, the declining trends in incidence and mortality rates witnessed in many of the developed countries during the past four decades are mainly attributable to the implementation of organized screening programs based on the use of cervical Pap smear, for example, the Nordic Countries, where an organized screening has resulted in up to 80% reduction in cervical cancer incidence since the early 1960s.