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Epidemiological Studies Relating Genital Herpetic Infection to Cervical Carcinoma¹

Departments of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine [A. J. N.], Pathology [Z. M. N.], and Gynecology and Obstetrics [W. E. J.], Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30303

A large number of epidemiological studies, with a variety of different approaches, have focused in the past decade on the relation of genital herpetic or herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection to cervical cancer. The results reported here of the high frequency of HSV-2 antibodies in young women (21 years) with cervical carcinoma in situ and in women with dysplasia or carcinoma in situ, matched for various sexual attributes to control women, provide support for a causal relation. Nevertheless, the various laboratory, histopathological, and statistical problems associated with all epidemiological studies conducted to date do not yet permit a firm conclusion to be reached as to the etiological role of the genital virus in cervical carcinogenesis. With improvement in laboratory technology, such as the use of herpes-related cancer antigens or purified HSV-2 typespecific antigens, and with the possible development of protective HSV-2 vaccines, the application of epidemiological approaches will probably be necessary to provide the most finite evidence of causality.

¹ Presented at the International Symposium on Human Tumors Associated with Herpesviruses, March 26 to 28, 1973, Bethesda, Md. Supported by Grant VC-71V from the American Cancer Society and Grant CA-11433 from the National Cancer Institute, NIH, USPHS.

² Presented by.