Human papillomavirus and bladder cancer

Bladder cancer remains an important cause of oncological morbidity and mortality in women. Known etiological agents include smoking and exposure to certain industrial chemical compounds, though the origin of the majority of cases remains unknown. Human papillomavirus infection is also common in women and has been closely linked to the development of carcinoma of the cervix. It has been suggested that infection with HPV may also be an important factor in the subsequent development of bladder cancer. A number of studies using various techniques of molecular biology have looked at the relationship between HPV infection and bladder cancer. Although the results are somewhat conflicting, the overall picture would suggest little involvement of HPV in the evolution of bladder cancer, except possibly in a small group of patients who are immunocompromised.