IARC to host meeting of Expert Working Group on cervical cancer to review scientific evidence on screening programmes

The Expert Working Group of the European Commission Initiative on Cervical Cancer (EC-CvC) will begin its review of the latest evidence on cervical screening during a meeting on 20–22 August 2024 at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) headquarters building. This review is the first stage of a structured process to update guidelines and recommendations for cervical cancer care and services. Drawing on its international experience in generating and synthesizing evidence, the Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections Branch at IARC is leading the initiative, in collaboration with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC).

The Expert Working Group will focus on recommendations for the optimal age to start and stop screening, as well as determining which tests have the best balance of benefits and harms for asymptomatic populations across different age ranges. The initial recommendations will specifically address those in the central age group 35–50 years and consider the possibility of starting screening at age 30 years.

The 20 group members have expertise covering the full patient pathway of primary, secondary, and tertiary care. The mission of the EC-CvC Expert Working Group is to develop, by mid-2026, updated patient-centred, evidence-based guidelines on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and diagnosis and management of precancerous lesions, and to identify quality and safety indicators and performance measures for the European quality assurance scheme for cervical cancer care.

The group will follow the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, which is an internationally recognized approach for developing health guidelines. The work will be guided throughout by the recent successful European Commission initiatives on colorectal cancer and breast cancer, led by the EC-JRC.

Read more about IARC’s work on cervical cancer 

Read more about the EC-JRC’s initiatives on cancer guidelines and quality assurance