title: Cervical cancer control, priorities and new directions.
abstract: Cervical cancer is caused by infection with a range of high risk "oncogenic" human papillomavirus (HPV) types, and it is now accepted that >99% of cervical cancer is initiated by HPV infection. The estimated lifetime risk of cervical cancer is nevertheless relatively low (less than 1 in 20 for most community based studies). Although sensitivity and specificity of the available diagnostic techniques are suboptimal, screening for persistent HPV infection is effective in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer. Infection can be detected by molecular techniques or by cytological examination of exfoliated cervical cells. Persistent infection is the single best predictor of risk of cervical cancer. The latest findings of HPV and cervical cancer research need to be widely disseminated to the scientific and medical societies that are updating screening and management protocols, public health professionals, and to women and clinicians. This report reviews current evidence, clinical implications and directions for further research in the prevention, control and management of cervical cancer. We report the conclusions of the Experts' Meeting at the EUROGIN 2003 conference.
authors.affiliation: EUROGIN, Paris, France. jm@eurogin.com
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Monsonego
authors.forename: F Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coursaget
authors.forename: John Thomas
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frazer
authors.forename: Rengaswamy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sankaranarayanan
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kinney
authors.forename: Chris J L M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: Euphemia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McGoogan
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology