The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization. IARC's mission is to coordinate and conduct research on the causes of human cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and to develop scientific strategies for cancer control. The Agency is involved in both epidemiological and laboratory research and disseminates scientific information through publications, meetings, courses, and fellowships.

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been associated with cervical cancer. However, the majority of HPV infections do not lead to the development of cervical lesions. Studies by our group and other laboratories indicate that HPV16 polymorphisms can influence the clinical outcome of an HPV infection. In this programme, in collaboration with partners Krüger Kjaer and Iftner we will investigate whether different variants in the oncogenes E6 and E7 of HPV16 and HPV18 are associated with different probabilities of progression to malignancy. The study will make use of a unique resource available to INCA, a prospective cohort study of 11,088 women in Copenhagen.

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