Cervical cancer

Introduction

In 2022, an estimated 660 000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 350 000 women died from the disease. The main cause of cervical cancer is persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), an extremely common family of viruses that are transmitted through sexual contact. Vaccines exist that protect against high-risk HPV types, and screening programmes can detect signs of disease at an early stage, allowing for effective treatment and management of the condition. This means that cervical cancer should be one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer. In many high-income countries, this is the case. High incidence rates and high mortality rates of cervical cancer occur mainly (~90% for both) in low- and middle-income countries.

News & Events

News

Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action 2024: celebrating front-line workers and transforming global commitments into life-saving actions

Press Releases

Press Release

New research highlights the potential of single-dose HPV vaccination to advance cervical cancer prevention in low-resource settings

Go to PDF 13.11.2024

02.08.2024 Global attribution of HPV genotypes to invasive cervical cancer: a systematic analysis

25.06.2024 New study shows effectiveness of low-cost portable device for treating cervical precancers

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Highlights

Cancer Screening in Five Continents (CanScreen5): a global data repository for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programmes

Videos

Recording

IARC-developed AI tool for cervical cancer screening – Dr Partha Basu

WATCH VIDEO 24.09.2024

24.04.2024 Why is Brazil changing its HPV vaccine recommendations?

08.03.2024 Maternal orphans due to cancer: the intergenerational impact of cancer deaths in women (IARC Evidence Summary Brief No. 5)

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Infographics

Infographic

Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action 2024

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month 2021
Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Every few years, IARC publishes the latest global data on cancer incidence and mortality. What do these figure show about cervical cancer? Which geographical areas are most affected, and why?

What are the main solutions to address this problem globally?

What is the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative?

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Research Project Websites

Global Cancer Observatory