About this research group
This group's ambition is to improve the nationwide cervical cancer screening, with the possibility of using self sampling. Important herein is research on the use of new triage methods for hrHPV positive women, by using HPV genotyping or molecular biomarkers. read moreAbout this research group
This group's ambition is to improve the nationwide cervical cancer screening, with the possibility of using self sampling. Important herein is research on the use of new triage methods for hrHPV positive women, by using HPV genotyping or molecular biomarkers.
Background
Worldwide 450,000 new cases of invasive cancer of the cervix are diagnosed every year. In developing countries, cancer of the cervix is the most frequent female malignancy and is responsible for about 24% of all cancers in women. Although screening programs, to identify precursor lesions of cervical cancer, have significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity of this disease, still more than 700 women have to be treated for cervical cancer in the Netherlands.
Human papillomaviruses (HPV) infections are prevalent in the general population. Obviously, not every women infected with a high-risk HPV type will develop cervical cancer. In fact, cervical cancer can be considered a very rare complication of a cervical infection with high-risk HPV. Clearly, additional virological, environmental, behavioral, immunological or ill-defined genetic factors must be implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of this cervical disease.
Discoveries
Both epidemiological and molecular studies have now established that human papillomaviruses (HPVs) that development of human cervical carcinomas is causally associated with infection by HPV. read moreDiscoveries
Both epidemiological and molecular studies have now established that human papillomaviruses (HPVs) that development of human cervical carcinomas is causally associated with infection by HPV. The HPV family consist of many different types; over 90 have been identified to date, of which 30 genotypes can be found in the genital tract. HPV can be detected in up to 100% of cervical squamous cell carcinomas.
Several HPV types, such as HPV types 16, and 18 have been implicated as sexually transmitted agents with an aetiological role in cervical carcinogenesis while other HPV types as HPV 6 and 11 are frequently detected in benign lesions such as condylomata acuminata. Therefore HPV 6 and 11 are called the benign or low-risk HPV types and HPV 16 and 18 are the malignant or high-risk HPV types. Women infected with the high-risk HPV types are considered to be at a higher risk for the development of cervical cancer than those who are not infected with HPV or who are infected with one of the low-risk HPV types.