HPV types and cofactors causing cervical cancer in Peru

We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Peru of 198 women with histologically confirmed cervical cancer (173 squamous cell carcinomas and 25 cases of adenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma) and 196 control women. Information on risk factors was obtained by personal interview. Using PCR-b ased assays on exfoliated cervical cells and biopsy specimens, HPV DNA was detected in 95.3% of women with squamous cell carcinoma and in 92.0% of wom en with adenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma compared with 17.7% in contr ol women. The age-adjusted odds ratio was 116.0 (95% Cl = 48.6-276.0) for s quamous cell carcinoma and 51.4 (95% CI = 11.4-232.0) for adenocarcinoma/ad enosquamous carcinoma. The commonest types in women with cervical cancer we re HPV 16, 18, 31, 52 and 35, The association with the various HPV types wa s equally strong for the two most common types (HPV 16 and 18) as for the o ther less common types. In addition to HPV, long-term use of oral contracep tives and smoking were associated with an increased risk. HPV is the main c ause of both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma in Peruvian women. (C) 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com.