Cervical Cancer Statistics
Chances are that you know someone who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. The following statistics will help you inform yourself about this dreaded disease. On a positive note, less cervical cancer-related deaths are occurring each year thanks to increased awareness and simple procedures such as pelvic exams and Pap smears.
Incidence/Mortality Rates
Worldwide
Cervical cancer is the 5th most common cancer
in women worldwide with approximately 471,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
It’s sobering to think that a woman dies of cervical cancer approximately every
2 minutes.
In less developed countries, this type of cancer is the second most
common in women and accounts for up to 300,000 annual deaths. 80% of the cases
occur in low-income or middle-income countries.
Cervical cancer is the most
common cancer for women in Central America and Southern Africa. The Caribbean,
other parts of Africa, South America and South Eastern Asia also have very high
incidences of this disease. Unfortunately, many women from these areas don’t
have access to routine exams such as Pap smears.
Although the average age of
diagnosis is 50, women as young as 17 can contract the disease. The Western
Journal of Medicine has published an informative online article entitled
«Cervical Cancer in the Developing World» .
US Statistics
Cervical cancer is the 8th most common type of cancer in American women. More than 10,000 new patients develop cervical cancer each year, and 3,600 women in the US die from the advanced form of this disease annually.
United Kingdom
Approximately 2,800 women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. As many as 1,100 UK women die from the disease which is the 12th most common cancer for UK women. In 2003, approximately 2300 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in England alone.
Increased Awareness & Pap Smears
Pre-cancerous cells can take 10-15 years to develop into cancer so early detection is very important in treating cervical cancer. Fortunately, more than 90% of this type of cancer is curable if the disease is detected and treated early enough. Routine exams such as Pap smears can greatly reduce your risks of contracting and dying from cervical cancer. The introduction of the Pap smear test in 1941 has greatly reduced the number of cervical cancer-related deaths. Pap smears have lowered worldwide annual deaths by approximately 2% decline each year. They have also reduced the overall death rate by approximately 74% since the tests were first implemented. The test is considered the most successful cancer screening technique ever discovered. Imaginis provides more detailed information about the Pap smear and its effect on cervical cancer: http://www.imaginis.com/womenshealth/pap_smear.asp.
Health agencies worldwide remain committed to reducing the
annual number of cervical cancer cases and deaths. The United Kingdom
instigated a cervical screening program in 1989 which provides free Pap smears
for all women aged 25-64. This program prevents up to 3900 cases of cervical
cancer in the UK each year. The UK Department of Health offers a downloadable
PDF brochure that explains more about cervical screening at
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/
PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4126872.
The first European Cervical Cancer Prevention week was launched Jan 21-28,
2007, with the aim of increasing awareness and encouraging women to undergo
annual Pap testing. In addition, community organizations such as the National
Cervical Cancer Coalition http://www.nccc-online.org/ and Canadian Cancer
Society www.cancer.ca also promote
awareness and are committed to fighting cervical cancer worldwide.
Resources/Links:
Key Statistics about Cervical Cancer (American Cancer Society)
UK Cervical Cancer Statistics (Cancer research UK)
Cervical Cancer Incidence Rates in various countries (Wrongdiagnosis.com)
This page was last updated:
April 2, 2007
It is not the intention of Cervicalcancer.org to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide users with information to better understand their health and their diagnosed disorders. Specific medical advice will not be provided, and Cervicalcancer.org urges you to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.
