Relation of papillomaviruses to anogenital cancer.

A variety of HPV types infect the anogenital mucosa, giving rise to lesions that differ in clinical appearance, histology, and risk of malignant progression. Human papillomavirus type 16 is distinguished by a strong association with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and the greatest prevalence in anogenital malignancy. Most cancers appear to have a multifactorial cause, and HPV infection alone is probably insufficient for malignant transformation. The consistent association between HPV infection and anogenital cancers emphasizes that the papillomaviruses may have a necessary role in carcinogenesis, however. Hence, there is a prospect that vaccination programs may one day allow public health control of HPV infection, thereby eliminating an important risk factor.