Role of Chronic Inflammation and Resulting DNA Damage in Cervical Carcinogenesis Induced by Human Papillomavirus

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the worldwide. Especially, in many regions of developing countries, cervical cancer is the most common among women. Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is a necessary event preceding the development of premalignant lesions in the cervical epithelium, which can partially progress to cancer. HPV DNA can be identified in almost all specimens of patients with invasive cervical cancer (Chen & Hunter, 2005; Munoz et al., 2003; Tindle, 2002). Molecular epidemiological studies have demonstrated that specific subtypes of HPV are closely associated with cervical cancer, although the risk of cervical cancer varies with HPV types (Bosch et al., 2002; Chen & Hunter, 2005; International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC] Working Group, 2007; 2011; Munoz et al., 2003; Sisk & Robertson, 2002; Tindle, 2002). IARC has classified several types of high-risk HPV, including HPV-16 and HPV-18, to be carcinogenic to humans (group 1) (IARC Working Group, 2007; 2011).