Integration of human papilloma virus as a monoclonal event in cervical cancer

Introducion: Integration of human papilloma viruses into the host genome is a common event during carcinogenesis in cervical cancer. Little is known about the background of this event. There are several facts which emphasize that viral integration may play a central role in the multistep process of carcinogenesis. Particularly the observation that precursors of cervical cancer frequently carry viral DNA sequences integrated in the host genome and that the frequency of viral integration is associated with the degree of dysplasia of precursor lesions indicate an early event in the development of malignancy. The co…