HPV, Precancer & Cancer

  • HPV

    Cer­vi­cal can­cer is the uncon­trolled growth of cells of the uter­ine cervix fol­low­ing a long­stand­ing infec­tion with onco­genic high-risk human papil­loma virus (HPV).

  • Spreading of HPV

    The HPV infec­tion is a very com­mon sex­u­ally trans­mit­ted dis­ease. It also spreads through the skin, con­dom use does not com­pletely pre­vent spread of infection.

  • high-risk HPVs

    Out of over 200 dif­fer­ent HPVs only a frac­tion are known to cause malig­nant trans­for­ma­tion of cer­vi­cal cells, thus called high-risk HPVs.

  • The peak of infec­tion

    … is shortly after onset of sex­ual activ­ity. Most infec­tions (70–90%) are asymp­to­matic and clear/resolve spon­ta­neously (tran­sient and self-limiting) – similar to a flu infec­tion. High-risk HPV typically clears within 1–2 years.

  • at least once in life­time

    50–80% of sex­u­ally active women are infected with HPV at least once in their life­time. The num­ber of women infected with HPV at a given time (preva­lence) is about 10–20 % in indus­tri­al­ized coun­tries and up to 40% among women in African com­mu­ni­ties. The preva­lence is even higher in HIV infected women.

  • Cervical cells develop in cancer

    In a small num­ber of women cer­vi­cal cells remain infected with HPV for longer than six months, and in a few women these per­sis­tently infected cervical cells even­tu­ally become dys­reg­u­lated and develop in can­cer cells usu­ally after 10 or more years. A number of factors may influence transition to pre-cancer or cancer including the HPV genotype, the woman’s immune status, concurrent STIs, par­ity, and smoking.

  • Impact of HIV on cer­vi­cal cancer

    Women who are infected with the HI virus and whose immune sys­tem is weak­ened have a higher risk of a per­sis­tent HPV infec­tion and of devel­op­ing cer­vi­cal cancer.

Learn more

What is the global burden of cervical cancer? See The Cervical Cancer Burden.

How can cervical cancer be prevented? Explore Cervical Cancer Prevention.

What stands in the way? Read about Challenges in Cervical Cancer Control.