Human Papillomavirus-Negative Cervical Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

Biyuan Xing; Jianfeng Guo; Yuhan Sheng; Gang Wu; Yingchao Zhao

doi:10.3389/fonc.2020.606335

Human Papillomavirus-Negative Cervical Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

Front Oncol. 2021 Feb 17:10:606335. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.606335. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Biyuan Xing¹, Jianfeng Guo², Yuhan Sheng¹, Gang Wu¹, Yingchao Zhao¹

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been the leading cause of cervical cancer for over 25 years. Approximately 5.5-11% of all cervical cancers are reported to be HPV-negative, which can be attributed to truly negative and false-negative results. The truly HPV-negative cervical cancers are almost all cervical adenocarcinomas with unclear etiology. False HPV negativity can arise from histological misclassification, latent HPV infection, disruption of the targeting fragment, non-high risk HPV infection, and HPV testing methods. HPV-negative cervical cancers are often diagnosed at an advanced FIGO stage and have a poor prognosis; thus, the management of these cases requires greater attention.

Keywords: cervical cancer; false-negative; human papillomavirus; human papillomavirus (HPV) testing; human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative.

Publication types

Review