The potential utility of HPV genotyping in screening and clinical management

Detection of specific human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes, or HPV genotyping, may be useful for differentiating between those women who are carcinogenic HPV-positive at lower and higher risk for cervical precancer and cancer. Considerable evidence already exists that the absolute risk for cervical precancer and cancer varies considerably among specific HPV genotypes, and that detection of HPV-16 and -18 may have clinical usefulness, especially among women who tested positive for carcinogenic HPV and have negative cytology. Detection of persistent carcinogenic HPV is strongly associated with cervical precancer and cancer and strongly predicts its development, and might be used to monitor the outcomes of HPV infections. However, several practical considerations must be addressed before HPV genotyping can be used in screening and clinical management.