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http://www.medicinaeinformazione.com/ Since it was possible to establish an important correlation between some viral forms and the development of tumors, the study of these so-called oncogenic viruses - and the consequent possibility of developing a vaccine capable of protecting against infection and the consequent transformation into tumor cells - has become a priority. And among the various oncogenic viruses, one whose development is now well known is the HPV Papilloma Virus, which is expressed in an entire family of viruses, more than a hundred, of which fortunately only some are oncogenic - the others are however highly infectious and lead for example to the development of condylomas or warts - and give rise to tumors in various parts of our body, the best known form of which is cervical cancer - for which a test is available with a sample similar to that of the PAP test capable of revealing the presence of the virus - but links with anal, penile and laryngeal cancer have now also been ascertained and therefore knowledge, prevention and treatment of HPV becomes fundamental. We talk about all this with Prof. Carlo Federico Perno, Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology at the Policlinico Tor Vergata in Rome, who explains to us how the virus is highly infectious and how it can be latent even for years, only to then awaken and give rise to benign forms as well as precancerous cellular transformations. And then it is essential to go and have the virus typed because clearly the treatment and follow-up over time will be very different if we find ourselves in the presence of a non-oncogenic strain or a strain at risk of developing a tumor over time. With the Professor we then talk about the importance of vaccination for pre-adolescent girls, a vaccination that covers strains number 16 and number 18, the most oncogenic, and how this vaccination can also be useful for women who have no evidence of the virus in their body and also for boys since the links of the virus in its form are now very clear