Skopje, 23 January 2026 (MIA) — Despite cervical cancer and other types of human papillomavirus-related cancers being largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening, the number of cervical cancer cases in the country is rising, according to data from the Clinic for Radiotherapy and Oncology where 74 cervical cancer cases were diagnosed in 2024 and 122 cervical cancer cases were diagnosed in 2025, oncologists told an event held Friday to mark Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2026.

Macedonian Medical Association and Macedonian Association for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy president Goran Dimitrov said the World Health Organization recommended that a new HPV screening method be introduced worldwide by 2030 to detect high-risk HPV strains that can cause cancer.

Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics director Irena Aleksioska Papestiev said cervical cancer, though preventable, was still a serious problem in the country. She said 2,263 cervical cancer cases had been diagnosed between 2016 and 2023.

"What is more concerning is that it is happening to younger and younger patients. The youngest patients are 18 years old, diagnosed in 2017 and 2020, and the average age is somewhere around 55 years old," Aleksioska Papestiev said. 

Of the 2,263 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer between 2016 and 2023, she said, 540 died.

"Although this is a cancer that is preventable. We have the primary prevention. Our goal is to increase public awareness," she said.

Oncologist Violeta Klisarovska said some 70-80% of the women diagnosed with cervical cancer in the country received a late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis.

Klisarovska said the best way to prevent this from happening was HPV vaccination.

National immunization coordinator Aleksandra Grozdanova said the nine-valent HPV vaccine — which provides protection against nine HPV strains that cause cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, anal cancer, head cancer, neck cancer, throat cancer and back of mouth cancer — was readily available, highly effective and recommended for boys as well as girls. 

She said the number of throat cancer cases — specifically the HPV-linked oropharyngeal cancer that is more common in men — was rising, too. 

"Oropharyngeal cancer is also on the rise," she said, adding that the nine-valent HPV vaccine provided protection against that type of cancer, as well. mr/