Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2025 Oct 21;36(1):102751. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgc.2025.102751. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, but comprehensive global assessments remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the current burden of cervical cancer, examine recent trends, and project progress toward elimination through 2050.
METHODS: The global burden of cervical cancer across 185 countries or territories in 2022 was assessed using data from the Global Cancer Observatory 2022, stratified by age and human development index. Trends from 1943 to 2020 were analyzed using data from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus database, the WHO Mortality Database, and the Nordic Cancer Database. Age-standardized incidence rates and mortality rates were calculated using the Segi-Doll world standard population. Average annual percent changes over the most recent 10 years were estimated using Joinpoint regression. Future projections to 2050 were modeled using constant-rate and annual percent change-based scenarios.
RESULTS: In 2022, an estimated 662,301 new cases and 348,874 deaths from cervical cancer occurred worldwide. Substantial regional disparities in the age-standardized rates were observed, with Eastern Africa and Southern Africa reporting the highest burden. Although countries with lower human development index had higher burdens in 2022, recent increasing trends were notable in countries with higher human development index. Future projections indicate that countries with very high and high human development indexes would require a 3% to 4% annual reduction in age-standardized incidence rate to achieve the WHO elimination target by 2050. However, countries with medium and low human development indexes are unlikely to reach the target even with a 5% annual decline.
CONCLUSIONS: Significant disparities in the burden of cervical cancer persist, and without accelerated efforts, many countries with low human development index scores-as well as some countries with high or very high human development index scores-may fail to achieve the elimination target.
PMID:41259846 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijgc.2025.102751
