Cervical cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed gynecological malignancies among women worldwide. The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV). Mahmood et al. investigated in detail the role of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-FGF receptor (FGFR) signaling axis in the development of the invasive form of the disease. The presented work clearly indicates the FGFR signaling as an additional but important factor for the development of a highly malignant tumor. Comment on https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16331.