Gynecology 2027

Background: Cancer prevention demands an integrated understanding of immune biology, modifiable health risks, and effective public health interventions. Immune surveillance helps recognize and control abnormal cells, while malignant tumors may escape immune defenses through altered antigen presentation, checkpoint signaling, and immunosuppressive microenvironments. Meanwhile, human papillomavirus (HPV) continues to cause preventable cancers worldwide, with a disproportionate burden where vaccination, screening, and treatment are least accessible.

Aim: Drawing on four decades of clinical experience and the themes of my book Empower Your Health, this educational presentation connects immune resilience, emerging cancer immunology, and equitable HPV-related cancer prevention.

Discussion: Evidence-based behaviors—including physical activity, balanced nutrition, restorative sleep, tobacco avoidance, and stress management—support overall health and can reduce selected cancer risks; they do not replace vaccination or screening. Research into tumor immune evasion offers promising therapeutic directions, but prevention remains essential. Prophylactic HPV vaccination can prevent infections responsible for most cervical cancers and several other HPV-associated malignancies. Expanding gender-neutral vaccination in line with national and international age recommendations, alongside cervical screening and timely treatment, is especially urgent in low-resource settings and underserved communities.

Conclusion: This presentation calls for an international commitment to prevention that joins personal health education with equitable access to proven interventions. No person’s opportunity to avoid an HPV-related cancer should depend on geography or income. By supporting immune health, advancing scientific discovery, and broadening HPV vaccination and screening, we can accelerate cervical cancer elimination as a public health problem and reduce the global burden of HPV-associated cancers.

Dr. Lucia Cagnes, MD, FACOG is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist with more than 40 years of clinical, academic, and research experience in Italy and the United States. She earned her MD summa cum laude from the University of Palermo School of Medicine and completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University Hospital of Palermo. Dr. Cagnes served as a Clinical Instructor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine from 1997–1999 and has practiced gynecology in Hyannis, Massachusetts, since 1999. She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, with recertification in 2026. Her areas of professional interest include women’s health, pregnancy care, contraception, menopause, preventive wellness, and gynecologic care. She has authored several publications addressing pregnancy complications, preeclampsia, preterm labor, contraception, and maternal-fetal health. She is also the author of Empower Your Health, published in 2025, focusing on immune optimization and preventive wellness.