Cervical cancer, which kills more than 340,000 women annually, is poised to become the first human cancer eliminated through coordinated global action. A new special issue of Cancer Biology & Medicine, published to coincide with the 2025 World Women's Summit in Beijing, brings together leading experts to examine progress, challenges, and innovations in prevention, screening, and treatment. The issue, guest-edited by Professor Youlin Qiao of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, provides a timely resource for accelerating the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2030 targets for cervical cancer elimination and advancing women's health equity worldwide.
In 2020, the WHO launched the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, setting ambitious "90-70-90" targets: 90% of girls vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) by age 15, 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by age 45, and 90% of women with cervical disease treated. However, vast inequities in health resources, infrastructure, and implementation capacity threaten progress. The majority of cervical cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where access to vaccination and screening remains limited.
The special issue, available at Cancer Biology & Medicine online, includes ten contributions spanning global perspectives, policy analysis, epidemiology, digital innovation, economic evaluation, and novel therapeutics. Highlights include an editorial from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) outlining global disparities and China's contributions; a perspective exploring how policy modeling can guide resource-sensitive elimination strategies in low- and middle-income countries; and an original article analyzing cervical cancer burden and trends in China from 2000 to 2020 compared with four Asia-Pacific countries.
Technological and clinical advances are showcased, such as the first international evaluation of a bilingual digital colposcopy education tool (iDECO), which significantly improves diagnostic accuracy, and the development of a therapeutic multi-epitope protein vaccine targeting HPV16 that demonstrates strong tumor regression in preclinical models. Other studies examine HPV vaccination willingness, innovative triage algorithms in rural China, intelligent digital platforms for population-based screening, and the economic impact of government-organized programs.
"Cervical cancer is the only malignancy we can realistically eliminate through vaccination, screening, and early treatment," said Professor Qiao. "This special issue demonstrates the collective knowledge and innovation needed to achieve that goal. By combining science, policy, and equity, we can ensure that no woman is left behind in the global drive to eliminate cervical cancer."
The timing of this issue aligns with renewed global attention to women's health at the 2025 World Women's Summit. By providing evidence-based insights across epidemiology, technology, economics, and therapeutics, the journal aims to inform international collaboration and inspire action. The elimination of cervical cancer is not only a public health objective but also a milestone for gender equity and global health justice. As the world moves closer to this unprecedented achievement, this special issue offers both a progress report and a call to action: eliminating cervical cancer is possible within our lifetime—but only if the global community works together.
For more details and to access the full collection, visit Cancer Biology & Medicine. Key articles include: "Eliminating cervical cancer: a global health imperative for women" (DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0529), "Progress toward cervical cancer elimination: global disparities and China's contributions" (DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0428), and "Modeling cervical cancer elimination: a pathway to inform policy decisions" (DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0387).
