Prospective seroepidemiologic study of human papillomavirus infection as a risk factor for invasive cervical cancer

Background: Major risk factors for invasive cervical cancer include infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), infection with other sexually transmitted pathogens (e.g., Chlamydia trachomatis), and smoking. Since exposures to these risk factors can be related, the contribution of any single factor to cervical carcinogenesis has been difficult to assess. We conducted a prospective study to define the role of HPV infection in cervical carcinogenesis, with invasive cancer as an end point. Methods: A nested case‐control study within a joint cohort of 700 000 Nordic subjects was performed. The 182 women who developed invasive cervical cancer during a mean follow-up of 5 years were matched with 5…