Related topics: cervical cancer
Human papillomavirus
hideAlphapapillomavirus Betapapillomavirus Gammapapillomavirus Mupapillomavirus Nupapillomavirus
A human papillomavirus (HPV) is a papillomavirus that infects the epidermis and mucous membranes of humans. HPV can lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus in women. In men, it can lead to cancers of the anus and penis.
Approximately 130 HPV types have been identified. Some HPV types can cause warts (verrucae), but those types don't cause cancer. Other types can cause cancer, but those types don't cause warts. Other types have no symptoms and are harmless. Most people who become infected with HPV do not know they have it.
About 30-40 HPV types are typically transmitted through sexual contact and infect the anogenital region. Some sexually transmitted HPV types may cause genital warts. Persistent infection with "high-risk" HPV types—different from the ones that cause warts—may progress to precancerous lesions and invasive cancer. HPV infection is a cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer. However most infections with these types do not cause disease.
Most HPV infections in young females are temporary and have little long-term significance. 70% of infections are gone in 1 year and 90% in 2 years.
A cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) test is used to detect abnormal cells which may develop into cancer. A cervical examination also detects warts and other abnormal growths which become visible as white patches of skin after they are washed with acetic acid. Abnormal and cancerous areas can be removed with a simple procedure, typically with a cauterizing loop.
Pap smears have reduced the incidence and fatalities of cervical cancer in the developed world, but even so there were 11,000 cases and 3,900 deaths in the U.S. in 2008. Cervical cancer has substantial mortality in resource-poor areas; worldwide, there are 490,000 cases and 270,000 deaths.
HPV vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, which prevent infection with the HPV types (16 and 18) that cause 70% of cervical cancer, may lead to further decreases.
For more information about Human papillomavirus, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with human papillomavirus
Atomic-level Snapshot Catches Protein Motor in Action (w/ Video)
Nov 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The atomic-level action of a remarkable class of ring-shaped protein motors has been uncovered by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory using a state-of-the-art protein ...
Sexually spread diseases up, better testing cited
Nov 16, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Sexually spread diseases continue to rise, with reported chlamydia cases setting yet another record in 2008, government health officials said Monday.
Study: HPV vaccine hurts less than expected
Medicine & Health / Medications
Oct 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Injections of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine appear to be no more painful than other shots that prevent disease, according to a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel ...
Study finds girls aware of HPV vaccine's benefits
Oct 15, 2009 |
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Contrary to concerns that the human papillomavirus vaccine might promote promiscuity, a national survey of girls and young women found that the majority of respondents did not believe the HPV vaccine protected them against ...
Scientists identify common HPV genotypes in northern India, encourage vaccination
Oct 11, 2009 |
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Although a wide spectrum of human papillomavirus is seen across the population of India, HPV-16 and HPV-18 are the most common types and a vaccination targeting these types could eliminate 75 percent of the cervical cancers ...
Vaccinating boys against human papillomavirus not cost-effective
Oct 09, 2009 |
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Persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is known to be a cause of cervical cancer. Current guidelines prioritize HPV vaccination of pre-adolescent girls, which ...
Rare head and neck cancer linked to HPV, study finds
Oct 07, 2009 |
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An increase in cases of a rare type of head and neck cancer appears to be linked to HPV, or human papillomavirus, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer ...
British girl dies after cervical cancer vaccine jab
Medicine & Health / Medications
Sep 29, 2009 |
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British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline said Tuesday it was working with health authorities here probing the death of a schoolgirl following a cervical cancer vaccination.
CDC: 1 in 3 teen girls got cervical cancer vaccine
Medicine & Health / Medications
Sep 17, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A new government report shows one in three teenage girls have rolled up their sleeves for a relatively new vaccine against cervical cancer, but vaccination rates vary dramatically between states.
HPV vaccine could prevent breast cancer: research
Sep 03, 2009 |
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Vaccinating women against the human papillomavirus (HPV) may prevent some forms of breast cancer and save tens of thousands of lives each year, new Australian research suggests.
Study examines adverse events associated with human papillomavirus vaccine
Aug 18, 2009 |
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An analysis of the adverse events reported following distribution of quadrivalent human papillomavirus recombinant vaccine since 2006 indicates that adverse event rates were consistent with pre-licensing data and expected ...
British boozing blamed for rise in oral cancer rates
Aug 11, 2009 |
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Britain has seen an "alarming" growth in oral cancer rates for people in their 40s, largely due to rising alcohol consumption, a leading British charity warned Tuesday.
More than half of Texas physicians do not always recommend HPV vaccine to girls
Medicine & Health / Medications
Aug 06, 2009 |
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the human papillomavirus vaccination for all 11- and 12-year-old girls, but results of a recent survey showed that more than half of Texas physicians do not follow ...
AIDS patients face higher risk of HPV-related cancers as immunosuppression grows
Jul 31, 2009 |
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Risk of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers is greater for people living with AIDS and increases with increasing immunosuppression, according to a new study published online July 31 in the Journal of the National Ca ...
Low prevalence of HPV infection may be tied to poor prognosis for blacks with head and neck cancer
Jul 29, 2009 |
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Researchers at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer have found that head and neck cancer patients who test positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV) have much better survival rates than patients ...
