OBJECTIVES:  In the absence of published utility values for persistent, recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer in France, the present study aimed to obtain French-based societal preferences for distinct stages of the disease and selected treatment-related adverse events (AEs). METHODS:  Eight hypothetical health states and their descriptions were developed on the basis of literature review and interviews with two clinicians, three nurses and two patients with persistent, recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. They described three primary disease states (progression free survival (PFS), progression with palliative treatment and progression with chemotherapy) and five AEs sub-states (PFS with vesico- or recto-vaginal fistulas, fatigue, infection, haemorrhage and peripheral neuropathy). A pilot study was conducted with adults from the French general population to ensure their understanding and appropriateness. In the main study, health states utilities were obtained by face to face interviews with 100 adults from the French general population using the time trade off (TTO). Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were also obtained. RESULTS:  The mean age of the respondents was 45.5 years and 54% were women. Utility values obtained for PFS (0.684), progression with chemotherapy (0.456) and progression with palliative treatment (0.092) followed the increase in severity of the disease. The disutility associated to the AEs ranged from 0.098 for fatigue to 0.459 for vesico- or recto-vaginal fistulas. On average, none of the states were valued as worse than death. The VAS results were in line with the TTO results. CONCLUSIONS:  This study underlines the value that French population places on the avoidance of disease progression and AEs in persistent, recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. The particularly low utilities values suggesting poor health related quality of life bring out the seriousness and debilitating nature of these stages of the disease. These utility values might be used in future research to populate cost-utility analysis.