Eliminating cervical cancer: a public health priority

Each year, nearly 3,000 women develop cervical cancer, and 1,000 women die from it. Cervical cancer is preventable through two effective and complementary interventions: vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) for primary prevention, and organized screening, combined with diagnostic confirmation and appropriate therapeutic management for secondary prevention.

As part of the Cancer Plan, the organized screening program aims to increase screening coverage to 80%, reduce inequalities in access to screening, and reduce the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer by 30% over a 10-year period.

58.2% of women aged 25–65 underwent screening, a figure that has declined slightly

Santé publique France has published an update on national and subnational estimates of coverage for triennial cervical cancer screening. This update shows that national coverage for all women aged 25 to 65 is 58.2% for the 2017–2019 period, representing a slight decrease compared to coverage for previous rolling three-year periods since 2012 (59.5% for 2016–2018).

The slight decrease observed at the national level for the 2017–2019 period compared to previous three-year periods is seen across all age groups and in most regions. This could be due to the impact of the first lockdown related to the COVID-19 pandemic on cervical cancer screening uptake. In fact, three-year screening coverage is calculated in practice over a 3-year period plus an additional 6 months to account for the impact of the invitation system on coverage (i.e., from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020, for the 2017–2019 three-year period). However, this potential impact of the lockdown on cervical cancer screening uptake will need to be confirmed.

A new practical tool for cervical cancer screening intended for healthcare professionals

Santé publique France, in partnership with INCa and the Haute Autorité de Santé, has developed a tool for healthcare professionals that summarizes the practical aspects of screening and the recommended procedures based on a woman’s age, which have been updated in line with the latest recommendations from the Haute Autorité de Santé on cervical cancer screening. This tool is available on the INCa website.

• Learn more: Cervical Cancer Screening in Practice

HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer

HPV vaccination is offered to girls and boys starting at age 11 to prevent cancers linked to HPV infections (cervical cancer, anal cancer, etc.), as well as genital warts, which are benign but difficult to treat. It is administered to young people because its effectiveness in preventing HPV infections is nearly 100% at that age. To date, more than 100 million children and adolescents have been vaccinated worldwide: the vaccine is very well tolerated, and a decline in cancerous or precancerous lesions is already being observed in countries with high vaccination coverage. Doctors, midwives (for girls), and nurses (with a doctor’s prescription) can administer the vaccine.

Vaccination-info-service: the vaccination information website

The vaccination-info-service.fr website is a leading resource on vaccination for the general public and healthcare professionals. It provides factual, practical, and scientifically validated information to answer various types of questions (searching for information by profile, about a specific disease, about vaccination in general, or about a particular vaccine, etc.). People are encouraged to review their vaccination status and consult their doctor for more information regarding their specific situation. A section dedicated to vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) infections is available in two separate sections: one for the general public and the other for healthcare professionals, to better support them in their practice.

• See also:

  • prevention materials on HPV infections for healthcare professionals and the general public

  • FAQs on HPV infection and screening

Upcoming change to the screening coverage indicator in line with new HAS recommendations

The coverage indicator used to date is the “coverage rate for triennial cervical cancer screening among women aged 25–65.” This period corresponds to the recommended interval between two screenings via cytological examination (“Pap smear”).

Eventually, the cervical cancer screening coverage indicator will be modified to reflect the latest recommendations from the French National Authority for Health (HAS), which change the screening test used and the screening frequency based on women’s age:

• cytology every 3 years for women aged 25–29;

• HPV testing every 5 years for women aged 30 to 65.

These recommendations were officially incorporated into the national organized screening program in 2020 with the publication of new program guidelines.