Follow
Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, or pain during sexual intercourse. While bleeding after sex may not be serious, it may also indicate the presence of cervical cancer.
What are the key statistics about cervical cancer?
The American Cancer Society's estimates for cervical cancer in the United States for 2016 are:
- About 12,990 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed.
- About 4,120 women will die from cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. But over the last 40 years, the cervical cancer death rate has gone down by more than 50%. The main reason for this change was the increased use of the Pap test. This screening procedure can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops. It can also find cervical cancer early – when it is in its most curable stage.
Most cases of cervical cancer are found in women younger than 50. It rarely develops in women younger than 20. Many older women do not realize that the risk of developing cervical cancer is still present as they age. About 20% of cervical cancers are found in women older than 65. These cancers, however, rarely occur in women who have been getting regular tests for cervical cancer before they were 65.
Worldwide, cervical cancer is both the fourth-most common cause of cancer and deaths from cancer in women. In 2012, 528,000 cases of cervical cancer were estimated to have occurred, with 266,000 deaths. It is the second-most common cause of female-specific cancer after breast cancer, accounting for around 8% of both total cancer cases and total cancer deaths in women. About 80% of cervical cancers occur in developing countries.
In the European Union, about 34,000 new cases per year and over 16,000 deaths due to cervical cancer occurred in 2004.
Cervical cancer is the 12th-most common cancer in women in the UK (around 3,100 women were diagnosed with the disease in 2011), and accounts for 1% of cancer deaths (around 920 died in 2012). With a 42% reduction from 1988-1997, the NHS-implemented screening programme has been highly successful, screening the highest-risk age group (25–49 years) every 3 years, and those ages 50–64 every 5 years.
In Canada, an estimated 1,300 women will have been diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008 and 380 will have died.
Australia had 734 cases of cervical cancer (2005). The number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer has dropped on average by 4.5% each year since organized screening began in 1991 (1991–2005). Regular twice-yearly Pap tests can reduce the incidence of cervical cancer up to 90% in Australia, and save 1,200 Australian women from dying from the disease each year.
In India, the number of people with cervical cancer is rising, but overall the age-adjusted rates are decreasing. Usage of condoms in the female population has improved the survival of women with cancers of the cervix.
Famous People who have died from Cervical Cancer
- Ranker - Famous People who have died from Cervical Cancer (16 women listed)
- Little Eva (Eva Narcissus Boyd) (1943-2003) - Singer
- Steffi Henderson (?- 1967) - Actor
- Mary Lundby (1948-2009) - Politician, Iowa State Senator
- Guylaine St-Onge (1965-2005) - Actor
- Ann Christy (1945-1984) - Belgian singer
- KD Wentworth (Kathy Diane) (1951-2012) - Editor, Author, Writer
- Eva Perón (1919-1952) - Politician, Actor
- Joey Feek (Martin) (1975-2016) - Singer-songwriter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Feek)
- Sarah Tait (Outhwaite) (1983-2016) - Australian rower & Olympic silver medalist
For additional info see:
- American Cancer Society - Cervical Cancer
- American Cancer Society - Cervical Cancer
- National Cervical Cancer Coalition - Cervical Cancer Overview
- Cancer Research UK - Cervical Cancer Statistics
- World Health Organization - Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer
- Wikipedia - Cervical Cancer
jump back to