Causes of Cervical Cancer

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is found in about 99% of cervical cancers. There are over 100 different types of HPV, the majority of which are considered Low Risk and do not cause cervical cancer. High Risk HPV types may cause cervical cell abnormalities or cancer. More than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases can be attributed to two types of the virus, HPV-16 and HPV-18, often referred to as High Risk HPV Types.

HPV is estimated to be the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. In fact, by age 50 approximately 80% of women have been infected with some type of HPV. The majority of women infected with the HPV virus do NOT develop cervical cancer. For most women the HPV infection is transient and 90% of infections resolve spontaneously within 2 years. A small proportion of women do not clear the HPV virus and are considered to have persistent infection. A woman with a persistent HPV infection is at greater risk of developing cervical cell abnormalities and cancer than a woman whose infection resolves on its own.