The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) hosted the foundation meeting of the Expert Working Group of the European Commission (EC) Initiative on Cervical Cancer (EC-CvC) on 5–6 February 2024 in Lyon, France. The group was selected after an open call for experts, which was announced in October 2023. The EC-CvC Expert Working Group consists of 22 multidisciplinary professionals with expertise covering the full patient pathway of primary, secondary, and tertiary care.
The meeting began by affirming the European vision for cervical cancer, with the goal that 90% of eligible women access screening for cervical cancer by 2025. As part of the development phase of the EC-CvC, the group agreed on terms and definitions, formed subgroups, and agreed on the profile of the screening population for Europe.
By mid-2026, the EC-CvC Expert Working Group will develop updated patient-centred, evidence-based guidelines on human papillomavirus vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and diagnosis and management of precancerous lesions. The group will also identify quality and safety indicators and performance measures for the European quality assurance scheme for cervical cancer care services. The quality assurance scheme will cover all processes of cervical cancer care, from screening to end-of-life care.
The EC-CvC will follow the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, which is an internationally recognized approach for developing health guidelines. The work will be guided throughout by the recent successful EC initiatives focused on colorectal cancer and breast cancer, led by the EC’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). IARC’s role will be to draw on its international experience in generating and synthesizing evidence to implement the EC-CvC, in collaboration with the JRC.
Details
- Publication date
- 13 February 2024