China's Cervical Cancer Rates Stabilize Nationally but Disparities Threaten Elimination Goals

China's cervical cancer rates have stabilized nationally after two decades of rapid increase, but significant disparities threaten progress toward global elimination targets. According to a study published in Cancer Biology & Medicine on September 15, 2025, the country's age-standardized incidence rate tripled from about 3 per 100,000 women in 2000 to over 10 per 100,000 by 2016, then plateaued through 2020. However, this national stabilization conceals growing risks for older women and rural populations while younger urban women benefit from improved screening access.

The research team from the National Cancer Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College analyzed data from 22 long-term cancer registries across China, revealing that urban women under 35 showed declining incidence after 2009. In contrast, rural women aged 35–64 continued to experience increasing rates, while women aged 65 and older demonstrated steadily rising incidence and mortality in both urban and rural areas. The study (DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0386) compared China's progress with other Asia-Pacific countries, finding stark contrasts with nations like Australia and the Republic of Korea where integrated HPV vaccination and screening programs have achieved consistent declines.

China accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world's female population, making its cervical cancer control crucial to global elimination efforts. Despite the introduction of HPV vaccination in 2016 and large-scale screening programs, coverage remains critically low—only about half of women aged 35–64 have been screened and less than 10% of girls have completed HPV vaccination. These persistent gaps in access, particularly in rural and aging populations, limit progress toward the World Health Organization's "90-70-90" targets for vaccination, screening, and treatment.

Professor Wenqiang Wei, corresponding author of the study, emphasized that "China's stabilization in cervical cancer rates is an encouraging signal, but we cannot overlook the inequities beneath it. Older women and those in rural regions remain at disproportionate risk, largely due to limited access to vaccination, screening, and timely treatment." The findings underscore that achieving elimination goals requires not just technological advances but system-level equity to ensure every woman receives the same standard of preventive care regardless of location.

The research provides critical evidence for refining China's national cervical cancer elimination roadmap as the country approaches its peak national burden around 2040. Researchers recommend expanding school-based HPV vaccination, scaling up primary HPV testing with self-sampling options, and ensuring standardized treatment across healthcare levels. Integrating AI-assisted cytology and digital registries could further improve early detection, while strengthening coordination between public health programs and local governments will be vital to narrow the urban-rural gap that currently threatens elimination prospects.