Cervical cancer virus

Researchers have now identified 18 types of human papilloma virus (HPV) that have been associated with cervical cancer, including three new ones, according to a recent report in The New England Journal of Medicine. It is now accepted that virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. The authors of this new study compiled data from 11 studies involving 1,918 women with confirmed cervical cancer. HPV DNA was found in almost 91 percent of the women with cancer. The authors state that if an effective vaccine can be developed against the five most common types of HPV, about 90 percent of cases of cervical cancer worldwide could be prevented.