The short answer
Up to 9 in 10 cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, and most of the rest are adenocarcinomas. Both are linked to HPV, but adenocarcinoma can be harder to catch with a Pap test.
Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for up to 9 in 10 cervical cancers.
Adenocarcinoma makes up most of the remaining cases.
Adenosquamous and other rare types make up a small share of cases.
Both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are linked to HPV infection.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
Most cervical cancer is one of two types. Both are linked to HPV infection. But they start in different cells, and they can behave differently.
The two main types
- Squamous cell carcinoma. Accounts for up to 9 in 10 cervical cancers. It starts in thin, flat cells called squamous cells. These cover the outer part of the cervix, the area closest to the vagina.
- Adenocarcinoma. Makes up most of the remaining cervical cancers. It starts in gland cells that produce mucus. These sit higher up in the cervical canal, closer to the uterus.
Rarer types
Adenosquamous carcinoma is also called mixed carcinoma. It has features of both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. It is uncommon. A rare form of adenocarcinoma, called clear cell adenocarcinoma, is uncommon too. Cancers such as melanoma, sarcoma, and lymphoma can start in the cervix on rare occasions. But they are far more common elsewhere in the body, so they are not typical cervical cancers.
In short: squamous cell carcinoma accounts for up to 9 in 10 cases. Adenocarcinoma makes up most of the rest.
Why the type matters
Nearly all cervical cancer traces back to one cause: a long-lasting infection with a high-risk type of HPV, the human papillomavirus. This is true for both major types. Before cancer develops, the cervix usually goes through a slow series of abnormal cell changes. Doctors call this dysplasia, and it can take years to progress. Screening is built to catch these changes early, before they turn into cancer.
Adenocarcinoma starts higher in the cervical canal. This area is harder to sample well with a standard Pap test. A Pap test brushes cells from the surface near the opening of the cervix. This is part of why combined Pap and HPV testing, or HPV testing alone, has become more common. It can catch changes higher up that a Pap test alone might miss.
What this means for screening and follow-up
Adenocarcinoma is easier to miss on a standard Pap test. So when it is a concern, some clinicians pay closer attention to HPV test results and to symptoms such as unusual bleeding, rather than relying on Pap results alone. If you have had an abnormal Pap or HPV test, ask which test was used. Ask how sensitive it is for the type of change your doctor is looking for.
Treatment for both major types generally follows the same overall framework, based on the stage at diagnosis. Your care team may still adjust details of monitoring or follow-up depending on which type you have. The two types can respond somewhat differently to treatment.
What to ask your team
Ask whether your cervical cancer is squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. Ask whether your type changes which screening or follow-up tests make sense going forward. Ask how your type affects your treatment plan. Ask what your biopsy showed about HPV status, since that result confirms the underlying cause in nearly all cases.
Sources
Words to know
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Common questions
What is the most common type of cervical cancer?
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type, accounting for up to 9 in 10 cervical cancers. It starts in the thin, flat cells covering the outer part of the cervix.
What is cervical adenocarcinoma?
Adenocarcinoma starts in the gland cells of the cervix, which produce mucus. It makes up most of the cervical cancers that are not squamous cell carcinoma.
Why is adenocarcinoma sometimes found later than squamous cell carcinoma?
Adenocarcinoma tends to start higher in the cervical canal, an area that can be harder to sample well with a standard Pap test. This is one reason HPV testing, which can be more sensitive for this type, is now often used alongside or instead of Pap testing.
Are all cervical cancers linked to HPV?
The great majority of cervical cancers, including both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, are linked to persistent infection with high-risk types of HPV. A small number of rarer cervical cancers are not HPV-related.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Last updated: 2026-08-18Next planned review: 2027-08-03
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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