Cervical cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in women after breast cancer. 400 women die every day in Europe from this disease. HPV infection is a necessary precondition for the disease to develop.
The distinctive feature of the disease is that it has precancerous stages (dysplasias) long before it manifests. This is why it can be fully treated (cured) if diagnosed early. The time needed for an early dysplasia to progress to cancer is around 7 to 8 years. This means there is a whole window of time in which it can be detected, if the woman undergoes regular routine screening with a Pap test.