Question

In carcinoma cervix, the causative etiological factor is

• A. Condyloma acuminata
• B. HPV 16,18
• C. HPV 6,11
• D. HSV 1 and 2

Hint:

Separate the wart causing HPV types from the cancer causing ones.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The question is really asking which infection actually drives cervical cancer, as opposed to something that just happens to affect the genital tract.

1. Condyloma acuminata: these genital warts are caused by HPV too, but they are benign lesions, not the cancer causing process by themselves.
2. HPV 16, 18: these are the high risk, oncogenic HPV types. Their proteins knock out the cell's tumor suppressor defenses, which lets cervical cells accumulate damage and turn cancerous over years.
3. HPV 6, 11: these are low risk types that cause genital warts but almost never lead to cancer.
4. HSV 1 and 2: herpes simplex virus was studied as a possible cofactor decades ago, but it was never confirmed as the cause, and current evidence points squarely at high risk HPV instead.

Since only the high risk HPV types disable the cell's tumor suppressor machinery and drive the cancer process, they are the accepted etiological factor for cervical cancer.

Let's summarize:

• Low risk HPV (6, 11) causes warts, not cancer.
• High risk HPV (16, 18) is the confirmed cause of cervical cancer.

So the answer is HPV 16, 18.