Cervical Cancer Prevention

The three pillars of prevention

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. Effective interventions exist at every stage of the disease pathway: before HPV infection, during the precancerous phase, and after cancer has developed. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines three core pillars for cervical cancer elimination: vaccination, screening, and treatment.

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Primary prevention

HPV vaccination to prevent infection with high-risk HPV types.

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Secondary prevention

Screening and triage to detect and treat precancerous lesions.

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Tertiary Prevention

Timely, high-quality treatment of invasive cancer to reduce mortality and morbidity.

HPV vaccination

HPV vaccines protect against the high-risk HPV types that cause the majority of cervical cancers, especially HPV 16 and 18. Vaccination is most effective when given before sexual debut, typically to girls aged 9–14 years, but can also benefit older adolescents and young women.

  • Vaccination can prevent up to 90% of cervical cancers if coverage is high and sustained.

  • It is a cornerstone of the WHO elimination strategy, alongside screening and treatment.

  • Despite this, coverage remains low in many low- and middle-income countries due to cost, supply, and delivery challenges.

Screening and triage

Screening aims to detect HPV infection and precancerous lesions before they progress to invasive cancer. Effective screening methods include:

  • HPV testing

    which identifies women at highest risk based on presence of high-risk HPV types.

  • Biomarker-based triage

    to distinguish transient infections from those likely to progress, improving specificity and reducing unnecessary procedures.

  • Colposcopy

    to directly assess suspicious areas and guide biopsy or treatment.

Treatment of precancer and cancer

Once precancerous lesions are detected, they can be treated effectively with minor procedures such as:

  • Ablative methods (e.g., cryotherapy, thermal ablation) for eligible lesions.

  • Excisional methods (e.g., LEEP, LLETZ) for larger or more complex lesions.

  • For invasive cancer, treatment may include surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy, depending on stage and available resources. Early detection greatly improves outcomes and reduces the need for complex, costly treatment.

Learn more

What is the global burden of cervical cancer? See The Cervical Cancer Burden.

How does cervical cancer develop? Explore HPV, Precancer and Cancer.

What stands in the way? Read about Challenges in Cervical Cancer Control.