Title:Role of Human Papillomavirus in Various Cancers: Epidemiology, Screening
and Prevention
Volume: 23
Issue: 10
Author(s): Waqas Ahmed, Sumera Zaib*, Sami Ullah, Areej Fatima, Zainab Zaib, Muhammad Abdul Haseeb Azam, Usama Umar, Muhammad Umair Tariq, Rabia Aslam and Imtiaz Khan*
Affiliation:
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore-54590, Pakistan
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, United Kingdom
Keywords:
Cancer, deoxyribonucleic acid, epidemiology, human papillomavirus, infectivity, mutations, viruses.
Abstract: It is estimated that viral infections contribute 15-20% of all human cancers. Several types
of human papillomaviruse (HPV) are related to the development of many cancer types and their
treatment. About 200 HPV viruses have been identified, and each type of virus is integrated with a
certain type of clinical lesions affecting the areas of skin and mucous membranes. Infections associated
with HPV are known to cause multiple cancer types such as uterine cancer, cervical, vaginal carcinoma,
and other varieties of carcinomas such as genital and oropharyngeal, penile, and short-lived
carcinomas. Most of the HPV types are considered as high-risk mutants that can provoke cervical
cancer in females in addition to significant contribution to other cancer types such as anogenital cancer
and tumor in head and neck regions. Among them, high risk human papilloma viruses (HR-HPV)
subtypes 16 and 18 play a major role in the etiology of cervical cancer worldwide. Although, cervical
cancer incidence and fatality rates vary greatly depending on geographical area, it is the leading cause
of mortality in women around the world. In addition, it is epidemiologically similar to a sexually
transmitted disease of low infectivity. In this review article, the association of HPV with different
types of cancers have been explained, but the main focus remains on cervical cancer.
