Infectious Causes of Cancer Codexery

Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is a preventable HPV-linked cancer of the cervix.

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Worldwide in 2022, there were over 660,000 new cases and around 350,000 deaths from cervical cancer.[1] The lower narrow section of the uterus, known as the cervix, is where cervical cancer originates due to uncontrolled cell growth.[2] Genital human papillomavirus infection (HPV) is connected to 99% of cervical cancer instances, yet the majority of individuals with HPV never get cervical cancer.[3]

Key facts and history

During the initial phases of cervical cancer, a person may experience no symptoms whatsoever.[4] Pain during intercourse, pelvic discomfort, and unusual vaginal bleeding are signs that can appear as the disease progresses.[5] For cervical cancer to develop, an HPV infection is considered a necessary condition.[6] Seventy-five percent of cervical cancer cases around the world are caused by HPV types 16 and 18.[6]

The progression from precancerous alterations to cervical cancer generally takes between 10 and 20 years.[3] Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer cells were used to create HeLa, the most renowned immortalized cell line in medical research.[1] The WHO launched a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer in 2020, and the date of that launch, 17 November, is now observed as the Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action.[7] The most economical public health strategy for preventing cervical cancer is HPV vaccination.[8]

Pre-cancerous changes can be identified through cervical screening, and treating these changes stops cancer from forming.[8]

What the research sources say

The WHO and HRP guideline includes 23 recommendations and 7 good practice statements for screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancer lesions.[9] Among HPV-infected women, those who have had seven or more full-term pregnancies have approximately four times the risk of squamous cell cancer compared with nulliparous women.[10] Vaccination against HPV-16 and HPV-18 reduces incident and persistent infections with efficacy of 91.6% and 100%, respectively.[10] The 5-year relative survival for localized cervical cancer is 91.8%.[11]

In women infected with HPV, those who currently smoke or have smoked in the past face an incidence of invasive cancer that is about two to three times higher.[10] Among women with HPV, using oral contraceptives for a period of 5 to 9 years is linked to an incidence of invasive cancer that is roughly three times greater.[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "World Cancer Report 2014", World Health Organization, 2014, p. Chapter 5.12; "Cervical cancer", World Health Organization, 2025-12-02; "World Cancer Report 2014", World Health Organization, 2014, p. Chapter 1.1; "Human papillomavirus vaccines: WHO position paper (2022 update)", Weekly Epidemiological Record, December 2022, p. 645–672; "WHO adds an HPV vaccine for single-dose use", World Health Organization, 4 October 2024; "Cervical cancer", American Family Physician, March 2000, p. 1369–1376; "Carraher's polymer chemistry", Taylor & F en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "What Is Cervical Cancer?", National Cancer Institute, 2022-10-13; "Defining Cancer", National Cancer Institute, 17 September 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Immunizing against HPV", World Health Organization; "World Cancer Report 2014", World Health Organization, 2014, p. Chapter 5.12; "HPV and HPV-associated diseases", Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, December 2013, p. 765–778; "Genomic Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer", Cancers, October 2021, p. 5137; "World Cancer Report 2014", World Health Organization, 2014, p. Chapter 5.12; Tewari, "Cervical Cancer", New England Journal of Medicine, 2 January 2025, p. 56–71 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Robbins Basic Pathology", Saunders Elsevier, 2007, p. 718–721; "Cervical cancer", American Family Physician, March 2000, p. 1369–1376 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Cancer", American Cancer Society, 1 July 2025; "Postcoital bleeding: a review on etiology, diagnosis, and management", Obstetrics and Gynecology International, 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "HPV-mediated cervical carcinogenesis: concepts and clinical implications", The Journal of Pathology, January 2006, p. 152–164; "Principles of cancer biotherapy", Springer, 2009, p. 149 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action", World Health Organization; "Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action", World Health Organization (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Cervical cancer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Immunizing against HPV", World Health Organization; "Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines", National Cancer Institute, 25 May 2021; "Viruses and Human Cancer", 2014, p. 149–171; "Immunization coverage", World Health Organization, 15 July 2025; "Human papillomavirus vaccines: WHO position paper (2022 update)", Weekly Epidemiological Record, December 2022, p. 645–672; "Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines", National Cancer Institute, 25 May 2021; "Cervical cancer", World Health Organization, 2025-12-02; "Cervical Cancer Treatment", Nationa en.wikipedia.org
  9. World Health Organization, "WHO guideline for screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancer lesions for cervical cancer prevention", World Health Organization, 2021, p. xi–xv, 1. facts only, no text reused. who.int
  10. "Cervical Cancer Prevention", PDQ, 26 December 2022. facts only, no text reused. cancer.gov
  11. "SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Cervix Uteri Cancer", NCI. facts only, no text reused. seer.cancer.gov

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Cervical cancer (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

More in Infectious causes of cancer

Cervical Cancer Gene DatabaseCervical cancer stagingCervical intraepithelial neoplasiaCervical screeningCholangiocarcinomaChronic diseases and cancers linked to infectious microbesClonorchis sinensisCutaneous squamous-cell carcinomaEpstein–Barr virus–associated lymphoproliferative diseasesEpstein–Barr virusGenital wartGlassy cell carcinoma of the cervix

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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