Methods for screening and prevention of HPV infection – a retrospective study

Worldwide, cervical cancer ranks 4th in frequency in the female population, with about half of the cases being fatal. In Romania, it is the second type of cancer found in women, after breast cancer and the main cause of cancer mortality in patients aged between 15 and 44 years. The main cause of this type of cancer is human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Although HPV is very widespread (> 85%), progression to cervical cancer is relatively rare. In countries that have implemented cervical screening programs, the incidence and mortality caused by this pathology have decreased by 50-75%. Also, the emergence of vaccines against the most common strains of oncogenic HPV and the implementation of vaccination programs will bring additional benefits in preventing cervical cancer. This paper presents the results of a retrospective study, performed on a number of 92 patients, which aimed to know the distribution of different HPV genotypes, their impact on the cervical epithelium, the degree of access to the national screening program, and openness to anti HPV vaccination.