HPV (Human papiloma virus) blog: Women beware: HPV is threatening!

Laboratory in which an HPV test is done Infection with HPV is the main factor of malignant transformation of the cervix, which is the world's second carcinoma that women can get. The presence of different types of HPV from a group of high risk in 99.7 percent of cancer of the cervix, was proved, so these viruses are considered to be the primary risk factor in these diseases. In Europe, cervical cancer is in the eighth place by the frequency of malignant forms in women. From infection to cancer - Today is considered to be- says mr. Vanja Kaliterna, MD. Specialist in medical microbiology and parasitology – that there is almost no cancer of the cervix without HPV. Women who are younger than 30 years are more often exposed to the infection of HPV, but immunologically they overcome the infection easier and rarely develop cancer. In women over thirties findings of HPV are not that often, but they often have a lasting infection that ultimately results in cancer. Only long-term infection of permanent high-risk types of HPV leads to the development of cancer cervix - Dr. Kaliterna considered. How the presence of HPV infection is diagnosed?

- Infection with HPV may be without symptoms or may lead to the development of benign forms or malignant change of the skin and mucosa (cancer). And if there are no visible signs of infection, routine inspections of cervix cells and birth canal are made, but definitive proof of the presence of HPV is visible only by methods of molecular diagnostics - explains dr Kaliterna us. According to previous knowledge only PAPA test, which reveal cytological changes in the cervix, is not sufficiently sensitive and can not single out women who have easy cytological changes with increased risk of the formation of cancer.

This is papiloma virus - Combined PAPA test and HPV test increases the sensitivity for detection of malignant change of the cervix. If both tests are negative, it means that women have no changes in cells, or HPV, which could cause these changes. Using both tests, checking up interval can be extended to three to five years, which would ultimately reduce health care costs - says Dr. Kaliterna.