Most Common HPV Subtypes in Cervical Cancer
The correct answer is B: HPV types 16 and 18 are the most common subtypes associated with cervical cancer, accounting for approximately 70% of all cervical cancer cases worldwide.
HPV Type Distribution in Cervical Cancer
HPV 16 and 18 are definitively the dominant oncogenic subtypes, with consistent evidence across multiple international guidelines:
HPV is detected in 99% of all cervical tumors, with types 16 and 18 being the most prevalent oncogenic subtypes 1
Approximately 70% of cervical cancers worldwide are caused by HPV types 16 and 18 1
Among HPV-positive cervical cancers, HPV 16 alone accounts for approximately 62% of cases, while HPV 18 accounts for approximately 18.9% 2
HPV 16/18 together account for at least two-thirds of cervical carcinomas across all continents 1
Breakdown by Individual Type
The hierarchy of HPV types in cervical cancer is well-established:
- HPV 16 is the single most common type, representing the majority of cases 2
- HPV 18 is the second most common, particularly more prevalent in adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas compared to squamous cell carcinomas 1
- Other high-risk types (HPV 31,33,35,45,52, and 58) are the next most common types globally but collectively account for a much smaller proportion 1
Clinical Implications
HPV 16 and 18 have distinct clinical characteristics:
Cancers associated with HPV 16,18, and 45 are diagnosed in women approximately 10.5 years younger than cancers associated with other HPV types, supporting faster disease progression 2
Prophylactic vaccines targeting HPV 16/18 have the potential to prevent more than two-thirds of worldwide cervical carcinomas and approximately 80.9% of HPV-positive cervical cancers 1, 2
HPV 18 DNA presence is associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer 1
Answer to Other Options
The other answer choices represent non-dominant HPV types:
- HPV 11/12 (Option A): HPV 11 is a low-risk type primarily associated with genital warts, not cervical cancer 1
- HPV 32/36 (Option C): These are not among the most common oncogenic types
- HPV 44 (Option D): This is not a major oncogenic type in cervical cancer