Vaccines for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the second most common form of cancer found in women and is responsible for more than a quarter of a million deaths worldwide each year. With approximately 70% of cervical cancers now known to be caused by two oncogenic types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), there is great interest surrounding the approval of the vaccine for clinical use. Despite this, many questions remain about how the new vaccines should be implemented and how cervical cancer screening will change following vaccination. This practical pocketbook provides an overview of the role of HPV in the pathophysiology of cervical cancer and its current screening and management, the principles of immune control of HPV infection in cervical cancer, and the challenges of implementing HPV vaccines and future developments. This revised edition includes updated trial data in the chapter on prophylactic HPV vaccination: current status.