The Role of Epigenetics in Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among women worldwide resulting in 528,475 new cases and 268,224 deaths. The principal etiological factor of cervical cancer is the persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomaviruses (HPV), however is not sufficient, other factors like age, smoking, oral contraceptives, and genetic background are implicated in the development of this neoplasia. Although the understanding of cervical carcinogenesis has been increasing in recent decades, the epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone modification, miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs) and its contribution to the development of cervical cancer remain largely unknown. In the next chapter, we will recapitulate the described findings on the alteration of epigenetic factors that, together with the persistent infection of HPV, could contribute to the malignant and invasive phenotype in cervical cancer.