The precision prevention and therapy of HPV‐related cervical cancer: new concepts and clinical implications

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women worldwide, with concepts and knowledge about its prevention and treatment evolving rapidly. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a major factor that leads to cervical cancer, although HPV infection alone cannot cause the disease. In fact, HPV‐driven cancer is a small probability event because most infections are transient and could be cleared spontaneously by host immune system. With persistent HPV infection, decades are required for progression to cervical cancer. Therefore, this long time window provides golden opportunity for clinical intervention, and the fundament here is to elucidate the carcinogenic pattern and applicable targets during HPV‐host interaction. In this review, we discuss the key factors that contribute to the persistence of HPV and cervical carcinogenesis, emerging new concepts and technologies for cancer interventions, and more urgently, how these concepts and technologies might lead to clinical precision medicine which could provide prediction, prevention, and early treatment for patients.

LncRNA HOXA-AS2 Facilitates Cervical Cancer Progression and Angiogenesis via miR-509-3p/BTN3A1 Axis

“…The main treatment options for cervical cancer patients include surgery and concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Cervical cancer kills more than a quarter of one million people a year in many developing countries because of inadequate treatment [3,4]. Accordingly, it is of great necessity to explore the molecular mechanism of cervical cancer to improve its therapy.…”

Immune‐related Long Noncoding RNA Signature for Patients with Cervical Cancer

“…The morbidity and mortality for CC ranks fourth worldwide among women [1]. Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV16 and HPV18, is the main etiologic risk factor for CC, and plays an important role in diagnostic tests [2]. Surgery is the main treatment method for CC in early stages while advanced-stage CC can be treated with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or concurrent chemoradiation, thereby improving the survival rate of CC patients [3].…”

Adaptation of CytoProcessor for cervical cancer screening of challenging slides

“…Cervical cancer causes approximately 275 100 deaths annually . The major causative factor of cervical cancer is infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus with an infection rate estimated at 80% .…”

“…Cervical cancer causes approximately 275 100 deaths annually . The major causative factor of cervical cancer is infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus with an infection rate estimated at 80% . While incidence rate and deaths have progressively declined in developed countries thanks to national deployment of high‐cost screening and HPV vaccination programs, cervical cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in less‐developed countries …”

“…The interpretation of Papanicolaou tests requires a highly trained specialized workforce of screeners and pathologists. These demands, combined with a lack of training programs and organizational costs, make cervical cancer screening unavailable for a great number of women in less‐developed countries . Cervical cancer remains the fourth most frequent cancer among women worldwide…”