IARC hosts EC-CvC meeting on screening ages for cervical cancer

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) hosted a meeting of the Expert Working Group of the European Commission Initiative on Cervical Cancer (EC-CvC) on 4–6 February 2025. The objectives of the meeting were to draft recommendations on the ages to start and stop screening for cervical cancer in the general population in Europe, and to lay the groundwork for screening recommendations for populations that have been vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the primary cause of cervical cancer.

The members of the Working Group successfully completed these tasks and will now turn their attention to screening intervals, use of triage techniques, and finalizing recommendations for screening of vaccinated populations. Recommendations are developed alongside appropriate quality indicators for the quality assurance scheme for cervical cancer prevention and care.

The chair of the meeting, Dr Nathalie Broutet, remarked that the meeting was an example of the importance of the collaboration of different experts across countries, coordinated by IARC, to develop high-quality guidelines on cervical cancer prevention. Dr Broutet also thanked the members of the Expert Working Group for their work and commitment and the quality of their contributions.

The completion and implementation of the new recommendations will mark a major step towards the elimination of cervical cancer in Europe and will improve access to high-quality services.

Read more about IARC’s work on cervical cancer 

Read more about the European Commission Joint Research Centre’s initiatives on cancer guidelines and quality assurance

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