Women over 65 still at risk from cancer from HPV and should be offered cervical screening

Routine cervical screening should be offered to women aged 65 and over as they are still at heightened risk of cancer from human papillomavirus (HPV), according to research.

Despite it being a preventable disease, there were about 660,000 cases of cervical cancer and 350,000 deaths from it worldwide in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

HPV is responsible for about 95% of cervical cancer, which occurs when abnormal cells develop in the lining of the cervix and grow, eventually forming a tumour.

WHO’s global strategy on cervical cancer states that by 2030, all countries should vaccinate 90% of girls with the HPV vaccine by 15, screen 70% of women and treat 90% of those with cervical disease. Modelling suggests this would prevent 62m deaths and a cumulative 74m new cases of cervical cancer by 2120.

Screening programmes vary from country to country, but most guidelines recommend stopping cervical screening after the age of 65 if previous test results have been normal.

Yet global cases of cervical cancer among people over 65 have been rising: in 2022, worldwide there were 157,182 new cases and 124,269 deaths from the disease among women aged 65 or older.

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Source: The Guardian, 1 July 2025