31 Jan 2026 • In a case-control study, long-term survivors of cervical cancer showed a distinct pattern of second cancer risk, with a notable rise in squamous cell carcinomas despite an overall reduction in new malignancies.

Over a median follow-up of 14 years, cervical cancer survivors had a lower overall risk of second primary cancers than cancer-free women (aSHR 0.87). Risks were lower for colorectal, breast, and melanoma cancers, but lung cancer risk was higher (aSHR 1.33). Among women with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, the signal was stronger: the risk of second squamous cell cancers rose at both HPV-related sites (aSHR 1.78) and non-HPV sites (aSHR 2.59), driven largely by a near threefold increase in lung squamous cell carcinoma (aSHR 2.88).

The findings underscore that long-term cancer surveillance in cervical cancer survivors cannot rely on overall risk alone.

Source: WILEY | Read full story