Cervical cancer is more aggressive when the human papillomavirus is not detected

Cervical cancer negative for the human papillomavirus (HPV) is rare but more aggressive. It is more frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, with more metastases and reduced survival. These are the findings of a study conducted jointly by ISGlobal, an institution supported by "La Caixa", the Hospital Clinic and the University of Barcelona.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most important cancer among women in the world and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. HPV infection (especially some genotypes) is the main causative agent of this tumor. However, a small percentage of cases are negative for HPV. However, it is unclear whether these tumors represent a distinct cancer subtype with different clinical and prognostic characteristics.

In this study, the team led by researcher and pathologist ISGlobal Jaume Ordi badyzed tumors of 214 women with cervical cancer and admitted to the clinic of the Barcelona Hospital between 2012 and 2015 and followed for five years. Using a highly sensitive molecular amplification test, they discovered that 10% of the tumors badyzed were negative for HPV DNA. Women with this type of tumor were diagnosed at more advanced stages of the disease, had a higher rate of lymph node metastasis, and had an average survival rate that was half that of women with HPV-positive tumors.

"These results confirm the previous studies of our group, with smaller samples," says Ordi. "The new study confirms that HPV-negative tumors represent a more aggressive type of cancer with a poorer prognosis, which must be taken into account for the clinical management of these patients," he adds.