Most Common HPV Subtype in Cervical Cancer
HPV type 16 is the most common subtype associated with cervical cancer, accounting for approximately 55-60% of all cervical cancers worldwide. 1
HPV Type Distribution in Cervical Cancer
Primary Oncogenic Types
HPV 16 is the single most carcinogenic genotype, responsible for 50-60% of invasive squamous cell carcinomas globally and approximately 40% of adenocarcinomas 1
HPV 18 is the second most common type, accounting for 10-15% of all cervical cancers 1
Together, HPV types 16 and 18 cause approximately 68-70% of all cervical cancers worldwide, including 68% of squamous cell cancers and 83% of adenocarcinomas 1, 2, 3
Clinical Significance of HPV 16
HPV 16 demonstrates unique aggressive characteristics: it is the most prevalent type in CIN3 lesions, most likely to persist after infection, and has the highest probability of progressing to CIN3 when persistent 1
The 10-year cumulative incidence of CIN3 or worse is 17.2% for HPV16-positive women, compared to only 3.0% for women positive for other oncogenic HPV types 4
HPV 16 persistence (one-year or two-year) strongly predicts a 20-30% risk of CIN3+ over 5 years 1
Other Contributing HPV Types
Approximately 10 other high-risk HPV genotypes (including types 31,33,35,39,45,51,52,56,58,59,68,73, and 82) collectively cause the remaining 25-35% of cervical cancers 1, 5
HPV 18 causes a disproportionately higher percentage of adenocarcinomas (approximately 32%) compared to squamous cell carcinomas (8%) 1
Key Clinical Implications
Vaccine Impact
- 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 2
Detection and Screening
Nearly 100% of cervical cancer cases test positive for HPV, with HPV detected in 99% of all cervical tumors 2, 6
Individual identification of HPV 16 or 18 in clinical practice may effectively stratify women at particularly high risk for aggressive management, as opposed to pooled oncogenic HPV testing alone 4