Texas Coalition Launches Five-Year Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan
A coalition of Texas health systems, academic centers, hospitals and community organizations has launched the Texas Lone Star Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2027-2032, according to an Oct. 7 news release from UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. The plan was developed by the Cancer Alliance of Texas Cervical Cancer Elimination Priority Area Workgroup and targets reducing cervical cancer to fewer than four new cases per 100,000 women annually, down from the state's current rate of 9.5, with some counties as high as 15 to 21 per 100,000. Uninsured, rural, border and minority communities bear the heaviest burden. The plan rests on three pillars: vaccination, screening, and timely follow-up, diagnosis and treatment, with commitments from major health systems, FQHCs, health departments and advocacy groups across the state.