Low prevalence of human papillomavirus DNA in endometrial cancer

Abstract

SummaryWe examined 77 cases of primary endometrial cancer for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by Southern blot hybridisation under stringent and non-stringent conditions and the polymerase chain reaction with type specific primers for HPV-11, -16 and -18.HVP DNA was detected in three of these 77 primary endometrial cancers (two HPV-16, one HPV of undefined type). Two of the three HPV positive tissues were obtained by cervical biopsy or uterine curettage, methods which confer a risk of contamination with benign HPV-containing cervical cells. HPV detection in endometrial cancer seems to be a rare event. The sporadic detection of HPV DNA in endometrial cancer tissue may be due to artificial spread from undiagnosed cervical HPV infection.