To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: HPV Linked To The Development Of Cervical Cancer URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/10ED42.htm Doctor's Guide July 6, 1999
BELTSVILLE, MD -- July 6, 1999 -- Results from a six-year prospective clinical study confirmed that persistent infection with high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is necessary for the development and continuance of CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) III, the immediate precursor of cervical cancer. The study was published in the July 3, 1999 issue of The Lancet. In the study, which involved 353 women in The Netherlands who were referred to gynaecologists as a result of mild to moderately abnormal Pap smears, only women with persistent high-risk HPV infection showed clinically progressive disease. Women without high-risk HPV never developed the critical precursor to cervical cancer. The study concludes that new guidelines for cervical cancer screening can be developed in conjunction with testing for human papillomavirus. The six-year study was led by professors Chris Meijer and Jan Walboomers, Ph.D., of the department of pathology, The Free University of Amsterdam. The study team concluded that persistent infection with high risk HPV is necessary for development and maintenance of CIN III. "We clearly showed that a repeated positive HPV test at six months to identify women with CIN III is much better than a repeated Pap smear," the researchers said. "It appears that the number of false negative cervical smears can be reduced significantly," said professors Meijer and Walboomers. As a consequence of the study, the researchers advised that women with mild and moderate dysplasia should only be referred for colposcopy and treatment when a second high-risk HPV test is positive. "This reduces the number of women referred for treatment significantly, without increasing the risk for cervical cancer." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.