The role of HPV detection and typing in diagnosis of pulmonary metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

We report a case of a woman with carcinoma of the lung, diagnosed 2 years after a previous cervical carcinoma. Specimens from the lesion tested positive for HPV18 and HPV35. This finding, together with histology and immunohistochemical assays, enabled us to establish the metastatic origin of the tumour. On the basis of this experience, we suggest that molecular methods can be a useful tool for identifying metastatic tumours originating in cervical cancer and for distinguishing them from primary tumours.