It is estimated that there were over 10,000 new cases of cervical cancer in the United States in 2005.1 Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women worldwide.2 It usually affects women older than 40.
About half of women diagnosed with cervical cancer have never had a Pap test. Another 10% of women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer have not had a Pap test in the last 5 years. Women in the United States with the highest risk for not having a Pap test include:3
- Older women, especially those older than 65.
- Women who are ethnic minorities, such as Hispanic and African American women.
- Low-income women, especially those who live in rural areas.
The most significant risk factor for developing cervical cancer is a persistent infection with a high-risk type of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Being infected with a high-risk type of HPV or having other risk factors increases the chance that a woman with an HPV infection will develop abnormal cervical cell changes that may need further treatment.
The incidence of cervical cancer has decreased in developed countries around the world because of an increase in the use of Pap test screening and appropriate follow-up treatment. In developing countries, the Pap test is not as readily available as it is in more developed countries. Because of this, abnormal cervical cell changes in women who live in developing countries may progress to cervical cancer without the benefit of detection and treatment.
References
Citations
National Cancer Institute (2005). Cervical Cancer (PDQ): Prevention—Health Professional Version. Available online: http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/cervical/healthprofessional.
Cannistra SA (2004). Gynecologic cancer. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., Scientific American Medicine, vol. 3, part 12, chap. 10, pp. 6–9. New York: WebMD.
Bristow RE (2003). Cervical cancer. In JR Scott et al., eds., Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 9th ed., pp. 923–939. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Credits
| Author | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH |
| Author | Merrill Hayden |
| Editor | Alison Allen |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Cynthia Tank |
| Associate Editor | Michele Cronen |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Kevin Holcomb, MD - Gynecologic Oncology |
| Last Updated | September 20, 2006 |
Merrill Hayden
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