AUTHOR=Bønløkke Sara , Blaakær Jan , Steiniche Torben , Høgdall Estrid , Jensen Steffen Grann , Hammer Anne , Balslev Eva , Strube Mikael Lenz , Knakkergaard Helle , Lenz Suzan 

TITLE=Evidence of No Association Between Human Papillomavirus and Breast Cancer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2018.00209

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2018.00209

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="ST1"><title>Background</title><p>Globally, breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women. Studies reported an increased risk of breast cancer among women with prior cervical dysplasia. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in breast cancer and explore if women with prior cervical neoplasia carry an increased risk of HPV-positive breast cancer compared to women without.</p></sec><sec id="ST2"><title>Methods</title><p>This case–control study identified 193 Danish women diagnosed with breast cancer (1998–2012) at Aarhus University Hospital or Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev. Cases were 93 women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) prior to breast cancer. Controls were 100 women without prior cervical dysplasia. HPV testing and genotyping were done using SPF<sub>10</sub> PCR-DEIA-LiPA<sub>25</sub> and an in-house semi-Q-PCR assay.</p></sec><sec id="ST3"><title>Results</title><p>Overall HPV prevalence in breast cancer for the assays was 1.55% (95% CI 0.32–4.48) and 0.52% (95% CI 0.01–2.85). There was no difference in HPV prevalence between cases and controls (2.15 vs. 1.00%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.61 and 1.08 vs. 0.00%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.48). HPV prevalence in CIN3+ was 94.62% (95% CI 0.88–0.98). Concordance between the assays was 98.60%.</p></sec><sec id="ST4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>HPV prevalence in breast cancer is very low suggesting no etiological correlation between HPV and breast cancer.</p></sec>