Modern Molecular and Clinical Approaches to Eradicate HPVMediated Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55810 . IntroductionCervical cancer was formerly the second most common cancer killer of women worldwide. Following widespread adoption of Papanicolau cytologic screening Pap test for cervical cancer in the s, this began to change. Today, advanced cervical cancer is rare in screened populations. Although an uncommon disease in developed nations, internationally about , women annually are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about half of those women will die of their disease. In global terms, this ranks second only to breast cancer as a cause of cancer-specific mortality. Over the past three decades the scientific community has witnessed spectacular advances in the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of cervical cancer, with the most profound discovery being in of the identification of the human papillomavirus HPV within cervical cancer a discovery that earned Harold Zur-Hausen, M.D the Nobel prize for Medicine and Physiology in . A viral etiology for cervical cancer implied that it may be possible to eradicate cervical cancer through vaccination. This promise was partially fulfilled in when the United States Food and Drug Administration approved an HPV vaccine for the prevention of HPV-induced cervical dysplasia and/or cancer. These advances, profound though they are, have yet to eradicate cervical cancer. Furthermore, due to the pervasiveness of HPV infection and the timeline of disease progression, it will be a few decades before we will be able to determine the impact preventive practices are having on cancer incidence and prevalence. In addition, those for whom preventative measures are not a solution, including HIV + individuals as well as women already infected with HR-HPV, await an answer.Over the past several years, developments in innovative imaging, superior surgical technologies, immunotherapies, and molecular therapies have surfaced, making the eradication of cervical cancer a much more achievable goal than in the past. Several areas of cervical cancer research continue to address the challenges posed by the need for appropriate therapeutic alternatives, and progress is occurring at each level of clinical management ranging from detection to the development of small molecule antiviral leads. Because the field is evolving rapidly in all directions and related disciplines, it is helpful to summarize the status of our growth, and to recognize those pioneering efforts that may ultimately contribute to achieving our goal of eliminating cervical cancer. This review seeks to survey the current understanding of cervical cancer etiology and treatment and to review areas requiring additional progress. . Prevention, interception and early detectionDisease Burden and Risk: Approximately million Americans are currently infected with HPV, and another million new infections occur annually. In about percent of these cases, the infection is cleared by the immune system within two years [ , ]. However, a relatively smal...

Cervical Cancer and Genital Infections: Assessment of Performance and Validation in Human Papillomavirus Genotyping Assays in Iran, its Neighbouring Countries and Persian Gulf Area

“…An organized prevention program is frequently reported to be needed for reducing the rate of cervical cancer in low and middle income countries ( 56 ). It is frequently reported that considerable number of females diagnosed with cervical cancer have never been screened by HPV testing or they may even be asymptomatic patients ( 39 , 58 - 60 ). Human Papillomavirus infection is diagnosed mainly by molecular methods and can be either DNA-based or RNA assays.…”