Toward a cervical cancer–free future: Cancer Biology & Medicine highlights science, policy, and equity

Cervical cancer will be the first human cancer eliminated through coordinated global action. A new special issue of Cancer Biology & Medicine brings together leading experts from around the world to examine progress, challenges, and innovations in prevention, screening, and treatment. From policy frameworks and epidemiological insights to digital health tools and therapeutic vaccines, the collection provides a timely resource for accelerating the World Health Organization's 2030 targets for cervical cancer elimination and advancing women's health equity worldwide.

Each year, more than 340,000 women die from cervical cancer, with the majority of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Despite being highly preventable through vaccination and early detection, the disease remains the fourth most common cancer among women. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, setting ambitious “90-70-90” targets for vaccination, screening, and treatment by 2030. Yet vast inequities in health resources, infrastructure, and implementation capacity threaten progress. Addressing these challenges requires not only scientific advances but also strong policy alignment and international cooperation.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the 2025 World Women's Summit in Beijing, Cancer Biology & Medicine has released a special issue (https://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/22/9) dedicated to eliminating cervical cancer. Guest-edited by Professor Youlin Qiao of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, the issue highlights global disparities, China's contributions, and the collective scientific and policy innovations needed to accelerate progress. The issue reflects the journal's mission to bridge cutting-edge oncology research with public health priorities, particularly in women's health.

The special issue brings together 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 in comparison with four Asia-Pacific countries.

Other notable studies showcase technological and clinical advances, 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.

Beyond these examples, the issue also features research on HPV vaccination willingness, innovative triage algorithms in rural China, intelligent digital platforms for population-based screening, and the economic impact of government-organized programs. Together, these articles provide a comprehensive view of scientific, clinical, and policy innovations driving the global elimination of cervical cancer. The full collection is available online.

“Cervical cancer is the only malignancy we can realistically eliminate through vaccination, screening, and early treatment,” said Professor Youlin Qiao, Guest Editor of the issue. “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, Cancer Biology & Medicine 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 special issue “Eliminating Cervical Cancer: A Global Health Imperative for Women”, visit Cancer Biology &Medicine online.

Eliminating cervical cancer: a global health imperative for women
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0529

Progress toward cervical cancer elimination: global disparities and China's contributions
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0428

Strengthening human papillomavirus vaccination programs through multi-country peer learning: lessons from the CHIC initiative
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0388

Modeling cervical cancer elimination: a pathway to inform policy decisions
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0387

Human papillomavirus vaccination willingness under resource inequities: momentary intervention effects of an educational video
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0400

Cervical cancer burden and trends in China, 2000–2020: Asia-Pacific international comparisons and insights for elimination goals
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0386

Accelerating the elimination of global cervical cancer through intelligent training for colposcopy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0403

Evaluation of the multiple HPV-based “screen and triage” algorithms in real-world settings of rural China
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0384

Evaluation of an intelligent digital platform for population management in cervical cancer screening
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0419

Impact of government-organized screening programs on the economic burden of cervical cancer across five disease courses: a multistage regression and mediation analysis
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0418

A therapeutic multi-epitope protein vaccine targeting HPV16 E6 E7 elicits potent tumor regression and cytotoxic immune responses
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0370

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References

Journal

Cancer Biology & Medicine (CBM) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal sponsored by China Anti-cancer Association (CACA) and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital. The journal monthly provides innovative and significant information on biological basis of cancer, cancer microenvironment, translational cancer research, and all aspects of clinical cancer research. The journal also publishes significant perspectives on indigenous cancer types in China. The journal is indexed in SCOPUS, MEDLINE and SCI (IF 8.4, 5-year IF 6.7), with all full texts freely visible to clinicians and researchers all over the world (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/2000/).

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