Bridging innovation and equity to end cervical cancer 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. 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."

Professor Youlin Qiao, Guest Editor of the issue

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.