Human papillomavirus and screening for cervical cancer: state of art and prospects

More than 99% of all cervical cancers contain high risk HPV. Only a persistent infection with high risk HPV of the cervical epithelium results in cervical cancer. Because the risk of cervical cancer is identical for all different HPV types, tests which detect all 14 high risk HPV types at one time are sufficient for clinical management. Testing for hr-HPV is mandatory for women with mild dyskaryosis and for the follow-up of women treated for CIN lesions. Based on efficiency to detect CIN3 and cervical cancer and preliminary cost benefit analysis, the combination of a high risk HPV test in conjunction with a cervical smear appears to be the best way of cervical cancer screening. A definite point of view on using high risk HPV testing for primary screening for cervical cancer will be obtained after the completion of a randomized trial of 44,000 women, in which the efficiency to detect CIN3 and cervical cancer by high risk HPV testing in conjunction with a cytomorphological smear is compared with screening by classical cytology.