Denmark could eradicate cervical cancer by 2040—study

Denmark aims to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040 thanks to a national HPV vaccination campaign and screening program, the Danish Cancer Society said on Monday, April 14.

"Even before 2040, so few women may have the disease that it may be considered eradicated," the Danish Cancer Society said in a statement.

"It would be the first time a cancer has disappeared," it said.

The current cervical cancer rate in Denmark is lower than 10 out of 100,000 women, according to a study in the Danish medical journal Ugeskrift for Laeger. 

According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) criteria, the disease would be considered eradicated when there is an incidence rate lower than four per 100,000 women. 

In Denmark, the vaccination rate against human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of the disease, is 89 percent for girls and boys aged 12, for the first of two doses.

That's just shy of the 90% goal.

The free vaccine was introduced for girls in 2008-2009 and for boys in 2019.

In addition, 60 percent of women in Denmark accept the offer of free screenings, slightly lower than the 70 percent participation target.

Neighboring Sweden could however beat Denmark to the post: it aims to eradicate cervical cancer by 2027, according to the Regional Cancer Centers in Sweden.