IARC marks Cervical Cancer Awareness Month 2023

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) marks Cervical Cancer Awareness Month by highlighting the work that remains to be done for the world to eliminate this disease by the end of this century, and by promoting the tools that are available to achieve this goal.

The main cause of cervical cancer is persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer. However, in 2020, an estimated 604 000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 342 000 women died from the disease; most of these cases and deaths (~90% for both) occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

IARC scientists are conducting research that is advancing the three key pillars of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative:

• Vaccination: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15 years;
• Screening: 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35 years, and again by the age of 45 years;
• Treatment: 90% of women with precancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.

Each country should meet the 90–70–90 targets by 2030 to get on the path towards eliminating cervical cancer by the end of this century.

Visit the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month 2023 webpage