Stress could be a factor in whether or not women infected with malignancy-linked types of human papillomavirus (HPV) develop cervical cancer according to recent research. Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia tested 74 women, all diagnosed with cervical dysplasia (precancerous cervical lesions), for an immune response to HPV 16, one of the strains of human papillomavirus thought to be a major cause of cervical cancer. The women also completed a questionnaire that assessed stressful life events experienced during the previous six months such as deaths of family members, loss of a job or divorce, as well as their perceived daily stress level over the previous month.
The research showed that stress was associated with deficits in immune response to HPV 16. Most HPV infections in healthy women disappear overtime without progressing to precancerous or cancerous stages. Researchers concluded from this that HPV infection alone is not sufficient to cause cervical cancer but added stress may influence cervical disease progression.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that one in four American women between the ages of 14 and 59 years are infected with HPV. Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against several cancer-causing HPV sub-types, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the vaccine works best when given to girls before they become sexually active and is not effective in women already infected.