Cervical cancer prevention by HPV vaccination and screening

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are very widespread, so that most women and menbecome infected during their lifetime. In Germany approximately 7850 people arediagnosed with cancer caused by HPV infections every year. In the primary preventionHPV vaccine type-associated precancerous lesions and genital warts can be preventedby early HPV vaccination, such as cervical cancer in about 90% of cases. Interestingfurther developments such as the reduction to a single HPV vaccination injection or theeffect of a postintervention vaccination after conization have not yet been conclusivelyclarified. After more than 2 years of HPV and cytology co-testing in the new screeningin women aged 35 years and over, the initial analyses by German laboratories indicatepositive effects with improved sensitivity and also specificity. A challenge is theincreased persistence rate of HPV positive/Pap negative findings in the further coursewith the necessity to longitudinally evaluate innovative clarification methods, such asdual stain and methylation tests with respect to implementation in the triage routine.