Cervical cancer research
Around 2,800 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK every year. The national cervical cancer screening programme saves thousands of lives every year by detecting pre-cancerous changes, but the disease claims the lives of over 900 women each year.
Last year, Cancer Research UK spent millions of pounds on a broad range of research to find out how best to prevent, detect and treat cervical cancer.
There is more information about cervical cancer on our CancerHelp UK website.
Below are some of the highlights of our cervical cancer research portfolio.
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Dr Sally Roberts
Division of Cancer Studies
Cancer Research UK Institute for Cancer Studies, Birmingham
Investigating how HPV causes cervical cancer
Dr Sally Roberts works at the Cancer Research UK Institute for Cancer Studies in Birmingham. She is investigating how human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause cells to multiply out of control, leading to cervical cancer. Finding out more about HPV could lead to better treatment and prevention strategies for cervical cancer.
Preventing cancer
Dr Anne Szarewski
Cancer Research UK Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics Unit
Wolfson Institute for Preventive Medicine, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London
Cervical cancer screening and prevention
Dr Anne Szarewski is a Clinical Consultant at Cancer Research UK's Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine. She is a leading expert in cervical cancer and is carrying out important studies looking at new screening methods for this disease. She is also interested in how the new cervical cancer vaccines may be used to prevent even more cases of cervical cancer.
Screening
Prof Jack Cuzick
Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics
Wolfson Institute, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London
Cancer prevention and screening
Professor Jack Cuzick runs the internationally renowned Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics at the Wolfson Institute in London. The department carries out a huge range of research on many different cancer types, and is concerned with cancer prevention and screening, especially for breast, cervical and bowel cancers.
Prof Julian Peto
Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology Unit
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London
Epidemiology, genes and cancer
Professor Julian Peto is the Chair of Epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton, Surrey. His group conducts large population-based studies and genetic research into several cancers, including breast cancer, cervical cancer and mesothelioma.
Prof Peter Sasieni
Biostatistics and Cancer Epidemiology Group
Wolfson Institute, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London
Improving cancer screening
Professor Peter Sasieni is a respected researcher in the field of cancer screening. Based at the Wolfson Institute in London, he is helping to ensure that existing NHS cervical screening programme runs as efficiently as possible. He is also working to improve bowel screening for people at high risk of the disease. And he is director of a new clinical trials unit specialising in cancer screening and prevention.
Dr Anne Szarewski
Cancer Research UK Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics Unit
Wolfson Institute for Preventive Medicine, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London
Cervical cancer screening and prevention
Dr Anne Szarewski is a Clinical Consultant at Cancer Research UK's Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine. She is a leading expert in cervical cancer and is carrying out important studies looking at new screening methods for this disease. She is also interested in how the new cervical cancer vaccines may be used to prevent even more cases of cervical cancer.
Viruses
Dr Robert Newton
Epidemiology and Genetics Unit, Department of Health Sciences
University of York, York
Investigating the role of viruses in cancer
Dr Newton's research focuses on how infections, in particular by viruses, play a role in cancer development. It is estimated that one in five cancers are caused by infections - for example skin cancer and cervical cancer can be caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) .