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Karen Knudsen: Kicking off Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Karen Knudsen/LinkedIn

Jan 2, 2025, 11:24

Karen Knudsen: Kicking off Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Karen Knudsen, Executive Strategic Advisor and Immediate Past CEO of the American Cancer Society, posted on LinkedIn about recent paper by Jiangrong Wang et al., titled “Human papillomavirus-based cervical screening and long-term cervical cancer risk: a randomised health-care policy trial in Sweden” published on The Lancet.

Authors: Jiangrong Wang, K Miriam Elfström, Joakim Dillner

“Hello, 2025! As we kick off Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, it’s inspiring to reflect on the tremendous progress we’ve made in reducing the impact of this cancer type. Thanks to groundbreaking advances in science – particularly development of the HPV vaccine – cervical cancer incidence and mortality are in steep decline, especially among women under 25. Prevention works!

However, the fight isn’t over. Regular testing remains essential for early detection and better outcomes. A late-breaking 2024 study from Sweden provided powerful evidence that HPV-based screening is superior to traditional cytology screening methods in preventing invasive cervical cancer in real-world settings. The findings are stunning and underscore the importance of continued innovation in screening technologies.

Can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring as we stand on the brink of ending cervical cancer as we know it. Let’s continue to raise awareness, champion prevention, and work toward a future where cervical cancer is a thing of the past.”

Karen E. Knudsen is the Executive Strategic Advisor and Immediate Past CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Prior to joining ACS, Dr. Knudsen served as executive vice president of Oncology Services and enterprise director for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health. She also served as president for the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and on the board of directors of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). She serves on the board of advisors for the National Cancer Institute, on 12 external advisory boards for NCI-designated cancer centers and on Exai Bio. She is an active member of several committees with the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), in addition to serving on other academic and for-profit advisory boards.