IARC presents updated European recommendations on cervical screening at EUROGIN 2026

Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) are presenting updates from the European Commission Initiative on Cervical Cancer (EC-CvC) at the EUROGIN Congress 2026 on 20 March 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The session coincides with the release of new European recommendations on cervical cancer screening on the European Commission web hub.

For the first time, these recommendations introduce tailored screening strategies for populations vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). The guidance was developed with support from the IARC Public Health Decision Science Team.

The EC-CvC Expert Working Group suggests a de-intensified screening approach for birth cohorts in which HPV vaccination coverage is more than 50%. In these settings, screening intervals may be safely extended to 10 years after a negative HPV test result. For populations with HPV vaccination coverage of less than 50%, screening strategies should remain aligned with those for the general population.

These findings are based on mathematical modelling of 118 800 simulated screening strategies that indicated that 5-year screening intervals would not be cost-effective in highly vaccinated populations, while 10-year intervals would maintain effectiveness while reducing overtreatment.

These recommendations represent a significant step towards more efficient, risk-based screening and contribute to the global effort to eliminate cervical cancer.

Visit the EUROGIN Congress 2026 website

View the new European guidelines on cervical cancer screening