[Human papilloma virus and cervical cancer]

From epidemiological viewpoint, it has been elucidated that cervical cancer is caused by something transmitted through sexual contact. At present, human papilloma virus, HPV, is thought to be one of the most important candidates, because 60-80% of invasive cancer as well as 30-50% of premalignant lesions of the cervix contain HPV, most of which is HPV-16 or 18. However, these HPVs are detected in the cervices of normal women, suggesting that it is mandatory to clarify the natural history of these HPVs to know the role played by these in the carcinogenesis.