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Human PapillomavirusTo Screen or Not to Screen
Gary R. Newkirk, MD
Arch Fam Med. 1993;2(12):1227-1228.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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THE SEXUALLY active are faced with an epidemic of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The presence of this virus in the female genital tract correlates with an increased risk for the development of cervical dysplasia and invasive cancer. Despite intense research into this fascinating area, which will likely unfold the mysteries of cancer genesis, clinicians are faced with several immediate problems. As more evidence links the presence of HPV in the female genital tract with cervical cancer, efforts to detect HPV at earlier stages appear to help predict which women are at risk of cervical cancer.
See also pages 1239 and 1250
Unfortunately, the basic problem with HPV infection is that most infected individuals are asymptomatic and the virus cannot be cultured. Clinicians are therefore forced to rely on indirect methods of detecting HPV. Traditionally, the Papanicolaou test has yielded one mechanism for detecting HPV-induced changes: the examination of exfoliated
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
Author Affiliations
University of Washington Spokane
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