Baseline information on human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and type distribution is highly desirable to evaluate the impact of prophylactic HPV vaccines in the near future. A meta-analysis was performed of studies published between 1995 and 2009 that used polymerase chain reaction or Hybrid Capture 2 for HPV detection in women with normal cytological findings. The analysis included 194 studies comprising 1,016,719 women with normal cytological findings. The estimated global HPV prevalence was 11.7% (95% confidence interval, 11.6%-11.7%). Sub-Saharan Africa (24.0%), Eastern Europe (21.4%), and Latin America (16.1%) showed the highest prevalences. Age-specific HPV distribution presented with a first peak at younger ages (<25 years) and, in the Americas and Africa, a rebound at older ages (≥45 years). Among the women with type-specific HPV data (n = 215,568), the 5 most common types worldwide were HPV-16 (3.2%), HPV-18 (1.4%), HPV-52 (0.9%), HPV-31 (0.8%), and HPV-58 (0.7%). Although the prevalence of HPV in women with normal cytological findings is high and variable across world regions, HPV types 16, 18, 31, 52, and 58 are consistently found among the 10 most common types in all of them. These results represent the most comprehensive assessment of HPV burden among women with normal cytological findings in the pre-HPV vaccination era worldwide.

At least 15 types of HPV have been associated with cervical cancer, but current HPV vaccines confer only type‐specific immunity. To determine geographic variations in the HPV type distribution in cervical cancer, we carried out a pooled analysis of data from an international survey of HPV types in cervical cancer and from a multicenter case‐control study, both co‐coordinated by the IARC. Study cases were 3,607 women with incident, histologically confirmed cervical cancer recruited in 25 countries. HPV DNA detection and typing in cervical cells or biopsies were centrally done using PCR assays. Estimates of the potential number of cases prevented by HPV type‐specific vaccines and changes in the validity of different HPV screening cocktails were calculated. HPV DNA was detected in 96% of specimens, and 30 different types were detected. The 15 most common types were, in descending order of frequency, 16, 18, 45, 31, 33, 52, 58, 35, 59, 56, 39, 51, 73, 68 and 66. Higher than average proportions of type 16 were found in northern Africa, of type 18 in south Asia, of type 45 in sub‐Saharan Africa and of type 31 in Central/South America. A vaccine including types 16 and 18 could potentially prevent 71% of cervical cancers worldwide, but its impact with regard to the percentage of cases potentially prevented would be higher in Asia and Europe/North America. In contrast, a vaccine containing the 7 most common HPV types would prevent about 87% of cervical cancers worldwide, with little regional variation. The impact of modifying the number of types in the screening cocktail tests would be small and probably irrelevant for screening programs.

Since 2006, many countries have implemented publicly funded human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programmes. However, global estimates of the extent and impact of vaccine coverage are still unavailable. We aimed to quantify worldwide cumulative coverage of publicly funded HPV immunisation programmes up to 2014, and the potential impact on future cervical cancer cases and deaths. Between Nov 1 and Dec 22, 2014, we systematically reviewed PubMed, Scopus, and official websites to identify HPV immunisation programmes worldwide, and retrieved age-specific HPV vaccination coverage rates up to October, 2014. To estimate the coverage and number of vaccinated women, retrieved coverage rates were converted into birth-cohort-specific rates, with an imputation algorithm to impute missing data, and applied to global population estimates and cervical cancer projections by country and income level. From June, 2006, to October, 2014, 64 countries nationally, four countries subnationally, and 12 overseas territories had implemented HPV immunisation programmes. An estimated 118 million women had been targeted through these programmes, but only 1% were from low-income or lower-middle-income countries. 47 million women (95% CI 39-55 million) received the full course of vaccine, representing a total population coverage of 1·4% (95% CI 1·1-1·6), and 59 million women (48-71 million) had received at least one dose, representing a total population coverage of 1·7% (1·4-2·1). In more developed regions, 33·6% (95% CI 25·9-41·7) of females aged 10-20 years received the full course of vaccine, compared with only 2·7% (1·8-3·6) of females in less developed regions. The impact of the vaccine will be higher in upper-middle-income countries (178 192 averted cases by age 75 years) than in high-income countries (165 033 averted cases), despite the lower number of vaccinated women (13·3 million vs 32·2 million). Many women from high-income and upper-middle-income countries have been vaccinated against HPV. However, populations with the highest incidence and mortality of disease remain largely unprotected. Rapid roll-out of the vaccine in low-income and middle-income countries might be the only feasible way to narrow present inequalities in cervical cancer burden and prevention. PATH, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR).

Background: Most cancers of the uterine cervix are squamous cell carcinomas. Although the incidence of such carcinomas of the uterine cervix has declined over time, that of cervical adenocarcinoma has risen in recent years. The extent to which human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cofactors may explain this differential trend is unclear. Methods: We pooled data from eight case–control studies of cervical cancer that were conducted on three continents. A total of 167 case patients with invasive cervical adenocarcinoma (112 with adenocarcinoma and 55 with adenosquamous carcinoma) and 1881 hospital-based control subjects were included. HPV DNA was analyzed in cervical specimens with the GP5+/6+ general primer system followed by type-specific hybridization for 33 HPV genotypes. Blood samples were analyzed for chlamydial and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) serology. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression modeling was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All tests of statistical significance were two-sided. Results: The adjusted overall odds ratio for cervical adenocarcinoma in HPV-positive women compared with HPV-negative women was 81.3 (95% CI = 42.0 to 157.1). HPV 16 and HPV 18 were the two most commonly detected HPV types in case patients and control subjects. These two types were present in 82% of the patients. Cofactors that showed clear statistically significant positive associations with cervical adenocarcinoma overall and among HPV-positive women included never schooling, poor hygiene, sexual behavior–related variables, long-term use of hormonal contraception, high parity, and HSV-2 seropositivity. Parity had a weaker association with adenocarcinoma and only among HPV-positive women. Use of an intrauterine device (IUD) had a statistically significant inverse association with risk of adenocarcinoma (for ever use of an IUD compared with never use, OR = .41 [95% CI = 0.18 to 0.93]). Smoking and chlamydial seropositivity were not associated with disease. Conclusions: HPV appears to be the key risk factor for cervical adenocarcinoma. HPV testing in primary screening using current mixtures of HPV types and HPV vaccination against main HPV types should reduce the incidence of this cancer worldwide.