Spotlights on Cervical Cancer: Progression, Diagnosis and Clinical Manifestations, Epidemiology, Treatment Approaches, Role of Artificial Intelligence and Future Directions

OBJECTIVE: Cervical cancer remains a major cause of illness and death among women worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where access to vaccination, screening, and advanced treatment is limited. SIGNIFICANCE: This review offers a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on cervical cancer, covering its epidemiology, molecular progression, clinical manifestations, diagnostic strategies, and emerging therapeutic approaches. It also emphasizes the integration of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, into cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and treatment planning. In addition, it highlights recent advances in precision medicine, liquid biopsy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, while identifying current challenges and future research priorities. KEY FINDINGS: This review article pointed out the recent applied technologies for early diagnosis of cervical cancer e.g., biosensors which can overcome the limitations of immunohistochemistry and biochemical based assays. Therapeutic vaccines have also been developed as an alternative to therapeutic drugs and surgical operations for the prevention of cervical cancer. In addition, targeted delivery and nanotechnology applications in tumor diagnosis, investigation, and management as well as the delivery of HPV vaccines. Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated considerable potential for the early detection of HPV infections and management of cervical cancer through surgical planning via AI-enhanced robotic systems. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical cancer research should focus on precision medicine, integrating recent models of artificial intelligence, advanced screening technologies, immunotherapy, and global public health initiatives. Combining these approaches could lead to improving early tumor detection, optimizing treatment outcomes, reducing disease burden, and contributing to eliminating cervical cancer.