Human papilloma viruses in non-melanoma skin cancers. (A short review)

The knowledge in the realms of pathology, epidemiology and molecular biology of human papillomaviruses (HPV) has defined them as etiological agents in benign tumors of the anogenital tract and major carcinogens in cancer of cervix uteri. Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common human cancer amongst lightly pigmented individuals. The mortality is low, the morbidity is significant in susceptible individuals often developing multiple primary tumors. Several groups now report a high prevalence of HPV DNA in human NMCS of immunosuppressed patients. This provides impetus for researching the role (causal or passenger) of cutaneous HPVs in the genesis of skin cancer.