Genetics of human papillomavirus (HPV)

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a sexually transmitted disease. There are different types of HPV. In most cases, HPV goes away on its own. It does not cause any health issues. But, some types can cause health problems. Like genital warts or cancers. A vaccine when you are young can stop you from getting HPV. HPV can cause cervical cancer. It can also cause cancer of the vagina, penis, anus, or throat. Once you get HPV, it can take years for cancer to develop. Other things may play a role in your health. Things like how much money, or education you have. Where you live. Your community. Do you get enough healthy food to eat? Your job. If you have access to health care. For example, in the US, more people in the South have cervical cancer caused by HPV. More people die from it in this region too. Your behaviors can also play a part. Do you smoke? Do you exercise? Your diet. Do you drink or do drugs? How many sex partners you have had. Even if you wash your hands when you should. For HPV, the more sex partners, the more likely you are to get it. Gene changes may play a role in who is at risk for HPV cancers. Gene changes may be more common in some groups. For example, BRCA1 is a gene. Certain gene changes in BRCA1 can raise your risk for breast cancer. These changes are more common in Ashkenazi Jews. But they are present in every population. Being Ashkenazi Jewish does not increase your risk. Having the gene change increases your risk. Gene changes may also affect how fast the cancer grows. Or what drug or treatment will work best for you. Or even how long you will survive. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will use BioVU to study cervical cancer from HPV. They will check for gene changes linked to HPV cancers. They will look for people with cervical cancer caused by HPV. Then they will look for gene changes in that group. They will see if gene changes are more common in any one group of people. They will also check if certain behaviors link to HPV. The goal is to find out what puts people at risk for HPV cancers. They hope to predict who might be at risk for cervical cancer from HPV. Their results may help us better treat this cancer. Or even prevent it. The results might help us learn more about other cancers caused by HPV too.