Cervical cancer is a major cause of cancer mortality and is initiated by infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs). An improved understanding of the virologic basis for this disease will help with prevention and treatment. This Review summarizes the main events of the HPV life cycle, the functions of the viral proteins, and the implications of HPV infection on their hosts, with an emphasis on carcinogenic mechanisms and disease outcomes in cervical and head-and-neck cancer.
- Amanda Psyrri
- Daniel DiMaio
