Human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and HPV type distribution in cervical, vulvar, and anal cancers in central and eastern Europe.

INTRODUCTION

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) play the leading etiological role in the development of cervical, anal, and vaginal cancers and a substantial proportion of penile, vulvar, and oropharyngeal (tonsillar) cancers.

METHODS

The article summarizes the results of the most important studies that examined tissue specimens of cervical, anal, and vulvar carcinoma from 16 central and eastern European countries for the presence of HPV DNA.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight eligible studies were identified. Among 2,531 invasive cervical cancers, 86.6% were HPV-positive. The combined prevalence of HPV-16/18 among HPV-positive cervical cancers was 87.5%. The overall prevalence of HPV DNA in six studies of anal carcinomas (43 cases) and vulvar carcinomas (164 cases) was 90.7% and 32.9%, respectively. HPV-16 DNA was detected in 86% of all anal carcinomas studied, and the proportion of HPV-16 positive vulvar carcinomas varied from 10.9% to 27.5%. HPV-18 DNA was not detected in any anal or vulvar carcinoma studied.

CONCLUSIONS

HPV prevalence and type distribution among women with cervical cancer in central and eastern Europe is comparable with other European regions. Several gaps in knowledge exist in the region concerning HPV prevalence and type distribution among women with HPV-related cancers other than cervical cancer and in the general population.