Deaths due to cervical cancer is a global public health problem. Even with screening modalities, a number of new cases is rising. Preventive oncology and control of cancer concept are taking a front stage, even with policymakers all over the world.

However, early detection and cure of cervical cancer are still at very nascent stage and there is a call for urgency to emphasize on creating awareness on burden of disease. Precancerous Lesions of Cervix: Prevention, Early Diagnosis and Management scripted by Dr Maninder Ahuja, Vice President, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and President Elect of Indian Menopause Society, is a welcome launch.

It is a ‘must read’ for students, clinicians, policymakers and all stakeholders. It will enable them to realize the focus on creating an enabling environment for expanding a comprehensive strategy encompassing early detection and cure of premalignant lesions of cervix. Screening and vaccination for cervical cancer are changing and new research for both is taking place at a fast pace, so, there was a need for the book.

I congratulate Dr Maninder Ahuja for taking a crucial step in writing the book to create a platform among stakeholders for awareness creation for prevention and cure of cervical cancer. Reading of the book would definitely translate into better clinical practice and help in preventing cervical cancer.

When I started working on the project of cervical cancer in India, I realized gynecologists needed update on their knowledge and there was no book available on all the related issues of preventive strategies for cervical cancer as a ready reckoner.

Cervical cancer is the most prevalent cancer in India. Globally, 500,000 women are diagnosed every year of cervical cancer and out of these 270,000 deaths occur per year. Expected increase in cervical cancer by 2020 is 40 percent and there would be about 1 million new cases of cervical cancer each year by 2050. India is responsible for 25 percent of cervical cancer mortality. In India, every seven minute is dying of cervical cancer.

Despite the fact that cervical cancer is preventable and still a large prevalence of disease, makes it imperative to create knowledge about this topic to cut down on mortality and morbidity.

We know now infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible not only for cervical but also for other cancers of vulva, vagina, rectum, oropharynx penile and also anogenital warts.

Primary prevention of cervical cancer is available by way of vaccines and secondary prevention is by screening and management of these lesions. This cancer has a natural history of long course from infection to premalignant lesions and then conversion to malignant invasive cervical cancer. This long course offers an opportunity for early diagnosis by various screening modalities and management by simple excisional and ablative methods.

Reduction in mortality in developed countries is because of widespread screening and treatment.

Over the years, understanding and management guidelines are changing a lot. Therefore, there is a need for this book at this time which is covering all the topics from prevention to early diagnosis and also management part.

We have done best effort to write evidence-based chapters in easy language for general practicing gynecologists with flow charts and beautiful colored illustrations. References for further reading are given at the end of each chapter. We have tried to cover from epidemiology, primary prevention through vaccination and various screening modalities in details from A-Z so 14that after going through this manual they are well versed in various approaches in managing results of various screening procedures available.

We hope this small effort of Precancerous Lesions of Cervix: Prevention, Early Diagnosis and Management should go in a long way in reducing mortality and morbidity related to this cancer.

As lots of research is in the pipeline regarding prevention and management and we would have changed guidelines on screening and management in different settings, perhaps, in near future, we would need revised edition of the book.

Till that time, I wish readers find it a very handy book to keep on their table top.

I acknowledge work of my co-editors Dr Partha Basu and Dr Dipanwita Banerjee for helping me in compiling the book and contribution from them. All institutions related to cancer care in India came forward for compiling the book. There are contribution from specialists from Asia Oceania Research Organization on Genital Infections and Neoplasia (AOGIN)-India through Dr Partha Basu (President AOGIN-India) and Secretary, Dr Neerja Bhatla, Dr Shalini Rajaram and many others and Dr Srabani Mittal from Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata. Indian Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ISCCP) also came forward for contributing chapters for this book such as Drs Vijay Zutshi, Sumita Mehta and Saritha Shamsunder. I am grateful to Drs Radhika Srinivasan and Arvind Rajwanshi from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India; and Indian Society of Cytologists to give precious contribution towards reporting of Pap smear and how to manage different abnormalities of Pap smear. If I do not thank Drs Bhaskar Pal, MM Samsuzzoha, Amita Maheshwari, Sharmila A Pimple, Gauravi A Mishra, Surendra S Shastri, I would be lacking in duty to acknowledge everybody's efforts. Dr Manu Noatay who is a dedicated pathologist and cytologist also contributed by approach to population-based screening for cervical cancer using LBC and HPV and she has been my constant support.

Happy reading to all the clinicians and, if reading the book would translate into good clinical practice and prevention of cervical cancer, then the efforts of all the authors would be rewarded.