TY - JOUR T1 - HPV infections and lung cancer JF - Journal of Clinical Pathology JO - J Clin Pathol SP - 885 LP - 891 DO - 10.1136/jcp.55.12.885 VL - 55 IS - 12 AU - K J Syrjänen Y1 - 2002/12/01 UR - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/55/12/885.abstract N2 - Because of the major clinical impact of bronchial cancer worldwide, the possibility that human papillomavirus (HPV) contributes to its pathogenesis as a co-carcinogen is an intriguing one. Bronchial squamous cell carcinoma develops through well defined precursor lesions, often at the sites of squamous metaplasia. Benign squamous cell papillomas are rare but HPV DNA has been found in almost half of those studied, implicating a causal association. In invasive bronchial cancer, morphological changes seen in HPV lesions elsewhere are often seen. HPV DNA has been detected in 21.7% of the 2468 bronchial carcinomas analysed to date and the same high risk types implicated in other squamous cell cancers have been identified. Clearly, more effort should be focused on assessing the role of HPV in bronchial carcinogenesis, by analysing the synergistic effects of carcinogenic agents (cigarette smoke, radiation, asbestos, etc) and HPV in different experimental settings. ER -