Human Papillomavirus and Its Role in Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the infectious agent responsible for over 5 % of all cancers internationally and has been identified as the cause of 99.7 % of cervical cancer. Of the over 200 genotypes of HPV, only 12 have been positively identified as having a causal relationship with cervical cancer, however, other genotypes may have an association confirmed in the future. The development of a prophylactic vaccine against HPV has enabled many countries, where a structured cervical screening program would not be possible to implement due to financial or resource constraints, to introduce a measure that is forecast to have a dramatic effect on cervical cancer incidence and ultimately mortality, as well as other HPV-related cancers. This article discusses the current role of HPV testing in the prevention, screening and treatment of cervical cancer, including vaccination strategies, integration of HPV testing into national screening programmes and future developments.