IARC hosts final meeting of first phase of EC-CvC

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) hosted the final meeting of the current phase of the Expert Working Group of the European Commission Initiative on Cervical Cancer (EC-CvC) on 30 June–2 July 2026. The Working Group of more than 20 experts from across Europe was established in February 2024 to develop evidence-based recommendations to shape cervical cancer prevention in the European Union (EU). Public consultation on these draft recommendations is expected to begin in the next months.

During this first phase of the EC-CvC, the Working Group members tackled some of the most challenging questions in cervical cancer screening: human papillomavirus (HPV) testing (including messenger RNA assays and self-collected samples), screening age and intervals for vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, risk-based triage, and invitation strategies. In parallel, the experts laid the foundations for the European quality assurance scheme for cervical cancer prevention to support provision of high-quality care across EU Member States.

The next phase of the EC-CvC will expand the European guidelines to new priority topics, establish the process for updating existing guidelines, complete the European quality assurance scheme, and support countries across the EU and accession countries to translate evidence into practice.

Cervical cancer incidence rates range from 4.1 to 21.7 per 100 000 person-years across European countries. Although cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be eliminated as a public health problem, projections from modelling studies suggest that cervical cancer cases and deaths could increase over the next decades unless governments and funders commit to continued investment. Achieving elimination will require not only vaccination against HPV, the primary cause of cervical cancer, but also high-quality screening, timely treatment, and equitable implementation of evidence-based practice.

Read more about the EC-CvC