Leading article: Muted hopes

This is undeniably exciting. Cervical cancer still kills around 1,300 women a year in the UK, despite a nationwide screening programme, and 300,000 around the world. An effective vaccine would not only save lives but could also, ultimately, end the indignity of regular pap smear tests for women.

But we should beware of getting overexcited. This is not a vaccine against cancer. It prevents infection with strains of one type of virus - human papilloma virus - which is a precursor of one type of cancer.

There are very few viruses that cause cancer, so vaccination is unlikely to yield significant new advances. The major cancers of the lung, breast, bowel and prostate remain formidable challenges. Great as the news is on cervical cancer, it does not signal the dawn of a new era.