Thermal ablation: cost-effective and safe for the treatment of cervical precancer

Published by IARC on 17 November 2025, this evidence summary (No 7) reports on fifteen years of research demonstrating that a new portable, battery-powered thermal ablator device co-developed by IARC and engineers is safe, effective and cost-efficient for treating cervical precancers.

The research, conducted in programmatic and field conditions, indicates comparable efficacy to standard treatment methods, greater ease of deployment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and potential for scale-up.

Low-cost alternative to traditional equipment

The brief calls on policy-makers to support device adoption and integrate it into cervical-precancer programmes, particularly where infrastructure constraints exist. By providing a practical, low-cost alternative to traditional equipment, the thermal ablator contributes to the broader goal of cervical-cancer elimination by improving access to treatment, thereby supporting screening-to-treatment pathways in resource-limited contexts.

The publication emphasises IARC’s role in generating applied evidence for cancer prevention and control.

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