Classification of weakly carcinogenic human papillomavirus types: addressing the limits of epidemiology at the borderline

Mark Schiffman; Gary Clifford; Franco M Buonaguro

doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-8

Classification of weakly carcinogenic human papillomavirus types: addressing the limits of epidemiology at the borderline

Infect Agent Cancer. 2009 Jun 1:4:8. doi: 10.1186/1750-9378-4-8.

Authors

Mark Schiffman¹, Gary Clifford, Franco M Buonaguro

Affiliation

¹ Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA. schiffmm@mail.nih.gov

Abstract

Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infections with a restricted set of human papillomaviruses (HPV). Some HPV types, like HPV16 and HPV18, are clear and powerful carcinogens. However, the categorization of the most weakly carcinogenic HPV types is extremely challenging. The decisions are important for screening test and vaccine development. This article describes for open discussion an approach recently taken by a World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs Working Group to re-assess the carcinogenicity of different HPV types.