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Many different HPV types cause cervical cancer. Two types (16 and 18) are the most common, accounting for about 7 of every 10 cases of cervical cancer. Similarly, many types of HPV cause anal and genital warts, but only two types (6 and 11) account for about 9 of every 10 cases.
The HPV vaccine, known as GARDASIL®, protects against nine types of HPV that cause disease in people. The types in the vaccine are 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.
Other viruses can cause cancer, too. For example, hepatitis B virus can cause liver cancer; AIDS virus can cause sarcoma (cancer of skin and soft tissues), and Epstein-Barr virus (the virus that causes 'mono') can cause cancers of the head and neck and of the immune system. These types of cancers can also be caused by other things. For example, alcohol can cause liver cancer; the sun can cause skin cancer, and poisons can cause cancer of the immune system.
Cervical cancer is unique in that almost all cases are caused by HPV. In some instances, HPV is not identified. Some of these cases are likely still caused by HPV, but the virus is not detected due to test sensitivity or inaccurate results. In other cases, the cancer could be misdiagnosed (i.e., metastasized or of a nearby tissue type) or a type of cancer, called adenocarcinoma, that is associated with local glands, rather than the squamous epithelial cells that line the cervix.
