Cervical Cancer: An Alarming New Report Released

Five years after the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, a new report from the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) warns that Canada’s once-promising progress is losing momentum. Released on Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, the Canadian Cancer Statistics 2025 report reveals that national cervical cancer rates—previously declining for decades—have now plateaued. It’s a shift experts say could jeopardize Canada’s goal of eliminating the disease by 2040.

The biennial report was produced by the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee in partnership with CCS, Statistics Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. It provides the most up-to-date national snapshot of cancer burden across the country. For cervical cancer, the findings signal a significant warning: progress is no longer moving in the right direction.

For years, Canada was on track to become a world leader in eliminating cervical cancer. Between 1984 and 2005, incidence rates declined steadily thanks to increased screening and public health education. But that trend slowed, then stalled. Since 2005, cervical cancer rates have fluctuated from year to year, including a period of increases. The new data now confirm what researchers have suspected—a plateau has emerged, halting the progress once considered achievable.

Experts point to several contributing factors: increased transmission of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), declining HPV vaccination rates, reduced screening participation, and gaps in follow-up care. These combined issues are undermining previous gains and putting elimination targets at risk.

“This shift in trend is more than a statistical change—it’s a signal that we need to pay closer attention,” says Dr. Jennifer Gillis, Director of Surveillance at the Canadian Cancer Society. “Cervical cancer is one of the only cancers we can eliminate, and it’s almost entirely preventable through HPV vaccination and effective cervical screening.”

Canada has committed to meeting WHO’s elimination benchmarks through the Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada, led by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. But with incidence trends now flatlining, the path forward is uncertain. In 2025 alone, an estimated 1,650 Canadians will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 430 will die from it—deaths that experts stress are almost entirely preventable.

A personal cost: Daphny’s story

For many Canadians, gaps in the system have life-altering consequences. At 31, Daphny—who immigrated to Canada from Brazil in 2016—was diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer. Without a family doctor and unfamiliar with Canada’s screening programs, she had not undergone a cervical cancer screening test in six years.

“Cervical cancer was never on my radar,” she says. “I had no pain or abnormal symptoms—nothing to suggest that something was wrong.”

After finally receiving screening, she waited five months for results. The delay revealed devastating news: squamous cell carcinoma on her cervix. It was a diagnosis that could likely have been avoided.

“One of my doctors told me that if I had done routine screening, they could have caught the cancer earlier when it was just precancerous cells,” she says. “I could have treated it in one day instead of going through months of chemotherapy and radiation.”

Now 33 and cancer-free, Daphny is using her experience to advocate for public education and for breaking down barriers to screening for newcomers, underserved communities, and people without regular primary care access.

A path forward—but uneven across Canada

Despite the warning signs, experts maintain that eliminating cervical cancer is achievable with coordinated national action. HPV infection accounts for nearly all cervical cancer cases, making vaccination and screening the most powerful tools for prevention.

HPV testing—more sensitive and accurate than Pap tests—is beginning to replace traditional screening in several provinces. British Columbia has gone further, offering self-administered at-home HPV tests. Other jurisdictions are still in early stages of transition, slowed by laboratory capacity issues, workforce shortages, and inconsistent access to primary care.

“Nothing big gets solved by one person,” says Dr. Gillis. “We need to act together to keep prevention efforts moving forward for measurable, lasting impact.”

Vaccination remains a critical challenge. Only Newfoundland exceeds the 90% HPV vaccination target for school-aged children. Across Canada, uptake ranges widely from 16% to 93%, leaving huge gaps in protection.

To accelerate progress, CCS is urging provincial and territorial governments to take four key steps:

• Implement HPV testing as the primary screening method

• Offer at-home self-collection HPV tests

• Adopt a “once eligible, always eligible” HPV vaccination policy so those who missed school-based shots can access the vaccine without cost

• Monitor program effectiveness for underserved communities

CCS is also encouraging the public to advocate for change by contacting elected officials through cancer.ca/stopcervicalcancer.

A broader cancer landscape

The report also outlines broader cancer trends in Canada:

• Cancer will affect an estimated 42% of Canadians in their lifetime.

• In 2025, 254,800 new cases are expected, with slightly higher numbers in males than females.

• Lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers remain the most common, representing nearly half of all diagnoses.

• About 87,400 Canadians will die from cancer in 2025, with lung cancer accounting for roughly 22% of these deaths.

While the report provides detailed national data, it also highlights the need for more inclusive statistics. Current reporting reflects only binary sex categories and does not capture the experiences of gender-diverse, racialized, or other equity-deserving groups—gaps the authors say must be addressed to improve equity in cancer care.

A turning point

Canada has the tools to eliminate cervical cancer. But as incidence rates stagnate, the country faces a turning point. Reaching the 2040 elimination goal will require renewed commitment, better access, clearer communication, and unified action.

Eliminating cervical cancer is within reach. But experts warn that without decisive steps now, Canada risks losing hard-won progress—and the chance to prevent thousands of avoidable cancers in the decades ahead.