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Cervical cancer research

Cervical cancer develops from cells lining the cervix, which is the canal that connects the uterus to the vagina.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 around 950 women each year.

Each year Cancer Research UK spends 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 Dr Sally Roberts

School of Cancer Sciences

University of Birmingham, Birmingham

Investigating how HPV causes cervical cancer

Dr Sally Roberts works at the School of Cancer Sciences in Birmingham. She is investigating how human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause cells to multiply out of control, leading to cervical cancer. Dr Roberts is an expert in this field and her work should lead to better treatment and prevention strategies for cervical cancer.

Screening

Prof Jack Cuzick 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 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 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.

Viruses

Dr Robert Newton 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) .