NHS England has announced that it has the potential to eliminate cervical cancer in England by 2040.
This is thanks to a more sensitive cervical screening test that detects high risk HPV, the virus that causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine that protects against the most common types of the virus.
The new test, which was rolled out as part of the NHS Long Term Plan in December 2020, is expected to prevent a quarter of the 2,500 new cases of cervical cancer in England every year.
The HPV vaccine, which is offered to all year 8 pupils, has also been shown to reduce the risk of cervical cancer by up to 90%.
NHS experts said that by combining these two interventions, cervical cancer, which kills 850 women a year in the UK, could be a disease of the past.
This would be a remarkable achievement for public health and cancer prevention.
