Advances in cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus vaccines

Cervical cancer is causally linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) and constitutes a major health problem for women. Nearly 80% of the 510,000 cases reported worldwide each year occur in developing countries which lack organized screening programmes. Cervical screening has effectively reduced the incidence of and mortality from invasive cervical cancer in industrialized countries, but is not completely protective. Cervical screening is now undergoing modernization and has seen several changes in recent years. These aim to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of screening, reduce rates of inadequate sampling, increase sensitivity rates and facilitate ancillary technologies, such as HPV testing. This review discusses these advances and the development of HPV vaccines.