Molecular biology of cervical cancer and its precursors.

There is strong clinical and experimental evidence that the human papilloma virus (HPV) plays a central role in the development and growth of cervical cancer. However, it is known that the carcinogenesis is a multistep process. Changes in the cytogenetic equilibrium, such as chromosomal imbalances, allelic loss, and structural aberrations, happen during the transformation from normal epithelium to cervical cancer. Numerous studies support the hypothesis that HPV infection is associated with development of malignant or pre-malignant changes of the lower genital tract. However, there is little clinical evidence that HPV detection would allow prediction of development of cervical cancer. Regarding the "human aspect" of carcinogenesis, there are efforts to detect markers that predict the risk of progression.