Age-standardized Incidence Of Cervical Cancer Research Articles

Efficacy of HPV vaccine in preventing cervical cancer in the Tomsk region

Background. The age-standardized cervical cancer incidence rate in the Tomsk region in 2021 was consistently higher than the average for the Russian Federation (21.2 / 100,000 versus 13.6 / 100,000 women). Primary prevention of cervical cancer is best achieved by human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination of girls. Aim. To evaluate HPV vaccine efficacy for the prevention of cervical cancer in the Tomsk region within the framework of implementation of two regional programs: “Prevention of gynecological cancer and rehabilitation of women diagnosed with gynecological cancer in 2008–2010” and “Urgent measures to improve cancer care for the population of the Tomsk region in 2011–2013”. Material and methods. We studied the tolerability and efficacy of HPV vaccination for the prevention of HPV-associated cervical cancer in 439 vaccinated girls aged 9–26 years during a follow-up time of 14-years. Results. The assessment of a 14-year follow-up study of the impact of HPV vaccination on HPV-associated cervical lesions has shown that HPV vaccine is safe and 100 % effective. Conclusion. Further prospects for primary prevention of cervical cancer before the introduction of vaccines against HPV infection in the national immunization schedule indicates the feasibility and real clinical effectiveness of the introduction of regional and regional programs with the development of a mathematical model for optimizing financial costs for primary prevention of cervical cancer, taking into account demographic parameters and socio-economic damage from cervical cancer in the study area.

Reasons behind Low Cervical Screening Uptake among South Asian Immigrant Women: A Qualitative Exploration.

Despite advancements in prevention strategies, cervical cancer remains a leading cause of death among underprivileged women. Although Australia has low age-standardized cervical cancer incidence rates compared with other countries, disparities exist in cervical screening uptake among certain population subgroups, especially those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. South Asian immigrant women have been reported to have lower cervical screening uptake than Australian-born women and those from other immigrant backgrounds. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the reasons and barriers for low cervical screening participation among South Asian immigrant women, through qualitative exploration. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 women, aged 26–50 years, living in Queensland, Australia, who were recruited via purposive sampling. After translation and transcription of recorded interviews, data was analysed via inductive thematic approach. Resulting themes, illustrating barriers towards screening, included: lack of cervical cancer and screening knowledge, especially of the changes in the revised screening program; effect of preventive, health-seeking behaviours; health care system factors; role of practical constraints and influence of sociocultural beliefs. Results suggest that culturally informed interventions, that involve relevant information provision and behavioural change strategies, to clarify women’s misconceptions, are required.

Cervical Cancer Screening Among Immigrant Women Residing in Australia: A Systematic Review.

Since the introduction of systematic population-based cervical cancer screening in Australia in 1991, age-standardized incidence of cervical cancer has halved. Given recent advances in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening, cervical cancer may be eliminated nationally within 20 years. However, immigrant women are not equitably reached by screening efforts. This study systematically reviewed evidence on cervical cancer screening practices among immigrant women in Australia. A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO and gray literature for English language studies published till March 1, 2019, was conducted. Observational and qualitative studies evaluating cervical cancer screening awareness and participation of immigrant women were screened. Of 125 potentially relevant studies, 25 were eligible: 16 quantitative (four cohort, 12 cross-sectional), six qualitative, and three mixed-methods studies. Quantitative studies indicated 1% to 16% lower screening rates among migrant women compared with Australian-born women, with participation of South Asian women being significantly lower. Qualitative studies illustrated factors affecting women's willingness to participate in screening, including insufficient knowledge, low-risk perception, and unavailability of a female health professionals being key barriers. Future studies should focus on South Asian women, due to recent increase in their immigration.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of eliminating cervical cancer through a tailored optimal pathway: a modeling study

BackgroundThe World Health Assembly has adopted a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer. However, neither the optimal pathway nor the corresponding economic and health benefits have been evaluated. We take China as an example to assess the optimal pathway towards elimination and the cost-effectiveness of tailored actions.MethodsA validated hybrid model was used to assess the costs and benefits of alternative strategies combining human papillomavirus vaccination, cervical screening, and treatment of pre-invasive lesions and invasive cancer for females with different immunization history. All Chinese females living or projected to be born during 2015–2100, under projected trends in aging, urbanization, and sexual activity, were considered. Optimal strategies were determined by cost-effectiveness efficiency frontiers. Primary outcomes were cervical cancer cases and deaths averted and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). We employed a lifetime horizon from a societal perspective. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses evaluate model uncertainty.ResultsThe optimal pathway represents an integration of multiple tailored strategies from females with different immunization history. If China adopts the optimal pathway, the age-standardized incidence of cervical cancer is predicted to decrease to fewer than four new cases per 100,000 women (i.e., elimination) by 2047 (95% confidence interval 2043 to 2050). Compared to the status quo, the optimal pathway would avert a total of 7,509,192 (6,922,744 to 8,359,074) cervical cancer cases and 2,529,873 (2,366,826 to 2,802,604) cervical cancer deaths in 2021–2100, with the discounted ICER being $− 339 (− 687 to − 79) per quality-adjusted life-year.ConclusionsBy adopting an optimal pathway from 2021 (namely, the year of the first Chinese Centennial Goals) onwards, cervical cancer could be eliminated by the late 2040s (namely, ahead of the second Chinese Centennial Goals) while saving net economic costs in China.

Historical and projected hysterectomy rates in the USA: Implications for future observed cervical cancer rates and evaluating prevention interventions

BackgroundSEER-reported cervical cancer incidence rates reflect the total female population including women no longer at risk due to hysterectomy. Hysterectomy rates have been declining in the United States as alternative treatments have become available, which could result in an apparent increase in SEER-reported cervical cancer rates. We aimed to obtain nationally representative historical data on hysterectomy rates in USA, use trends analysis to project rates back to 1935 and forward to 2035, and then predict the impact of changing hysterectomy rates on SEER-reported cervical cancer rates. MethodsWe performed a systematic search of Medline, Embase, Premedline, Cochrane Central databases and extracted nationally-representative hysterectomy incidence data from 1965 to 2009, including data on the number of cervix-preserving (subtotal) procedures. We then projected rates back to 1935, and forward to 2035 based on trends from joinpoint regression. These rates were then used to estimate hysterectomy prevalence out to 2035, and then to predict the impact of changing hysterectomy rates on SEER-reported cervical cancer rates to 2035. We examined alternative assumptions regarding projected hysterectomy incidence rates out to 2035, including a scenario in which rates decline no further from 2009 rates, and a scenario where rates decline at twice the baseline rate. ResultsEstimated age-standardized hysterectomy incidence increased from 2.4 to 10.6 per 1000 women between 1935 and 1975. Thereafter, rates are predicted to fall to 3.9 per 1000 by 2035. Subtotal hysterectomy procedures declined from being the predominant method in 1935 to less than 12% of procedures from 1970 onwards. Consequently, holding all else constant, an increase in SEER-reported age-standardized cervical cancer incidence rates (ages 0–85+) of 9% is expected from 2009 to 2035. The predictions were minimally impacted by alternative scenarios for future hysterectomy rates. ConclusionsDeclining hysterectomy rates have implications for the interpretation of SEER-reported cervical cancer rates. A background increase in cervical cancer rates due to decreasing population hysterectomy exposure may partially offset expected decreases from recent cervical screening changes recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force. Evaluations of new cervical cancer prevention opportunities should consider the background impact of historical and projected hysterectomy rates.

Estimates of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in 2018: a worldwide analysis

SummaryBackgroundThe knowledge that persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main cause of cervical cancer has resulted in the development of prophylactic vaccines to prevent HPV infection and HPV assays that detect nucleic acids of the virus. WHO has launched a Global Initiative to scale up preventive, screening, and treatment interventions to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem during the 21st century. Therefore, our study aimed to assess the existing burden of cervical cancer as a baseline from which to assess the effect of this initiative.MethodsFor this worldwide analysis, we used data of cancer estimates from 185 countries from the Global Cancer Observatory 2018 database. We used a hierarchy of methods dependent on the availability and quality of the source information from population-based cancer registries to estimate incidence of cervical cancer. For estimation of cervical cancer mortality, we used the WHO mortality database. Countries were grouped in 21 subcontinents and were also categorised as high-resource or lower-resource countries, on the basis of their Human Development Index. We calculated the number of cervical cancer cases and deaths in a given country, directly age-standardised incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer, indirectly standardised incidence ratio and mortality ratio, cumulative incidence and mortality rate, and average age at diagnosis.FindingsApproximately 570 000 cases of cervical cancer and 311 000 deaths from the disease occurred in 2018. Cervical cancer was the fourth most common cancer in women, ranking after breast cancer (2·1 million cases), colorectal cancer (0·8 million) and lung cancer (0·7 million). The estimated age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer was 13·1 per 100 000 women globally and varied widely among countries, with rates ranging from less than 2 to 75 per 100 000 women. Cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer-related death in women in eastern, western, middle, and southern Africa. The highest incidence was estimated in Eswatini, with approximately 6·5% of women developing cervical cancer before age 75 years. China and India together contributed more than a third of the global cervical burden, with 106 000 cases in China and 97 000 cases in India, and 48 000 deaths in China and 60 000 deaths in India. Globally, the average age at diagnosis of cervical cancer was 53 years, ranging from 44 years (Vanuatu) to 68 years (Singapore). The global average age at death from cervical cancer was 59 years, ranging from 45 years (Vanuatu) to 76 years (Martinique). Cervical cancer ranked in the top three cancers affecting women younger than 45 years in 146 (79%) of 185 countries assessed.InterpretationCervical cancer continues to be a major public health problem affecting middle-aged women, particularly in less-resourced countries. The global scale-up of HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening—including self-sampling—has potential to make cervical cancer a rare disease in the decades to come. Our study could help shape and monitor the initiative to eliminate cervical cancer as a major public health problem.FundingBelgian Foundation Against Cancer, DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Projections up to 2100 and a budget optimisation strategy towards cervical cancer elimination in China: a modelling study

The incidence of cervical cancer in China is increasing rapidly. We aimed to forecast the age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer in China up to 2100, and to determine the optimal strategy to eliminate cervical cancer under different budget scenarios. In our modelling study, we developed an adapted and calibrated hybrid model to estimate the incidence of cervical cancer in urban and rural China until 2100. All 1·15 billion Chinese women living or projected to live during 2015-2100, under the projected trends in ageing, urbanisation, and sexual activity were considered. We assessed several scenarios of budget constraints (a current budget [2012-18], twice the current budget, and no budget constraints), implementation of human papillomavirus vaccination (with different target populations and coverage), and cervical cancer screening characteristics (with different target ages, screening intervals, and coverage). We used a budget optimisation process to select the best available combinations of vaccination and screening. The primary outcomes were the annual incidence of cervical cancer in 2015-2100, and the year of elimination (the first year in which the incidence was expected to be lower than four new cases per 100 000 women). Under the current strategy, by 2100, the age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer is projected to increase to three times the incidence in 2015. However, if China adopts an optimal strategy under the current budget from 2020 onwards (namely, introducing vaccination of 95% coverage for girls aged 12 years, and expanding coverage of once in a lifetime screening for women aged 45 years of 90% in urban areas and 33% in rural areas), the annual age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer is predicted to decrease to fewer than four new cases per 100 000 women (ie, elimination) by 2072 (95% CI 2070-74) in urban China and 2074 (2072-76) in rural China. If the current budget were doubled from 2020 onwards, elimination would be achieved by 2063 (2059-66) in urban China and 2069 (2066-71) in rural China. The earliest possible year of cervical cancer elimination would be 2057 (2053-60) in urban China and 2060 (2057-63) in rural China, if vaccination coverage for girls aged 12 years and coverage of screening at 5-year intervals for women aged 35-64 years was maximised, with no budgetary restrictions. Cervical cancer incidence in China will continue to increase under current cervical cancer prevention strategies. However, under our budget optimisation strategy from 2020 onwards, cervical cancer could be eliminated as a public health problem by the early 2070s. Elimination could be achieved by the late 2050s by increasing the budget towards vaccination against human papillomavirus and cervical cancer screening. National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Medical Science Initiative for Innovative Medicine.

The projected timeframe until cervical cancer elimination in Australia: a modelling study

In 2007, Australia was one of the first countries to introduce a national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme, and it has since achieved high vaccination coverage across both sexes. In December, 2017, organised cervical screening in Australia transitioned from cytology-based screening every 2 years for women aged from 18-20 years to 69 years, to primary HPV testing every 5 years for women aged 25-69 years and exit testing for women aged 70-74 years. We aimed to identify the earliest years in which the annual age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer in Australia (which is currently seven cases per 100 000 women) could decrease below two annual thresholds that could be considered to be potential elimination thresholds: a rare cancer threshold (six new cases per 100 000 women) or a lower threshold (four new cases per 100 000 women), since Australia is likely to be one of the first countries to reach these benchmarks. In this modelling study, we used Policy1-Cervix-an extensively validated dynamic model of HPV vaccination, natural history, and cervical screening-to estimate the age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer in Australia from 2015 to 2100. We incorporated age-specific coverage of the Australian National HPV Vaccination Program in girls, including the catch-up programme, and the inclusion of boys into the vaccine programme from 2013, and a change from the quadrivalent to the nonavalent vaccine from 2018. We also modelled the effects of the transition to primary HPV screening. We considered two scenarios for future screening recommendations regarding the cohorts who will be and who have been offered the nonavalent vaccine: either that HPV screening every 5 years continues, or that no screening would be offered to these women. We estimate that, in Australia, the age-standardised annual incidence of cervical cancer will decrease to fewer than six new cases per 100 000 women by 2020 (range 2018-22), and to fewer than four new cases per 100 000 women by 2028 (2021-35). The precise year of attaining these rates is dependent on the population used for age-standardisation, HPV screening behaviour and test characteristics, the incremental effects of vaccination of men on herd immunity in women, and assumptions about the future frequency of benign hysterectomies. By 2066 (2054-77), the annual incidence of cervical cancer will decrease and remain at fewer than one case per 100 000 women if screening for HPV every 5 years continues for cohorts who have been offered the nonavalent vaccine, or fewer than three cases per 100 000 women if these cohorts are not screened. Cervical cancer mortality is estimated to decrease to less than an age-standardised annual rate of one death per 100 000 women by 2034 (2025-47), even if future screening is only offered to older cohorts that were not offered the nonavalent vaccine. If high-coverage vaccination and screening is maintained, at an elimination threshold of four new cases per 100 000 women annually, cervical cancer could be considered to be eliminated as a public health problem in Australia within the next 20 years. However, screening and vaccination initiatives would need to be maintained thereafter to maintain very low cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates. National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia).

Role of Colposcopy in Detection of Dysplastic Cervical Lesion as a Screening Tool

Background: Age standardized cervical cancer incidence rate in Nepal is 19.2/100,000 woman, compared with 14.0 worldwide. Similarly, mortality rate is 12.0 women which is significant in comparison with 6.8 worldwide. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasm is a precursor lesion, having high transformation rate into the cervical carcinoma. Data clearly indicates that CIN 2 and 3 has more progression into cervical carcinoma. Despite the fact that Papanicolaou test has remained an important tool in the screening for cervical cancer and has contributed in significant decrease in cervical cancer, sensitivity and specificity of conventional Papanicolaou test is quite low. Colposcopy is visual inspection of cervix under magnification. Study revealed that the positive predictive rate of the colposcopic impression is better as the cervical lesion is more severe. Aim: To find out the significance of colposcopy in the detection of dysplastic cervical lesions and possible use of this method as a screening tool. Methods: This is an observational study done at Cancer Care Foundation, Nepal done from a period of January 2015 to February 2018. Permission was obtained from ethical committee and written consent was obtained from the patients. All the patients suspected having dysplastic or invasive lesions or in whom colposcopy-guided biopsy was performed; were included in the study. Relevant data were collected which included age, colposcopic diagnosis, histopathological diagnosis. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis was done from statistical package SPSS 21. Results: 6109 females were screened through colposcopy. Out of these 900 patients underwent colposcopy-guided biopsy for being suspected of dysplastic lesions or inflammatory lesions. Mean age of females was 40.65 years. With colposcopy, 407 (45.2%) were suspected to have low grade lesion, followed by 401 (44.6%) high grade lesion and 15 (1.7%) carcinoma. Nonneoplastic lesions were suspected in 77 (8.6%) females. In the histopathological examination low grade dysplasia was observed in 403 (44.8%) followed by 250 (27.8%) high grade dysplasia and 8 (0.9%) carcinoma in-situ or invasive carcinoma. Similarly, 239 (26.6%) patients had nonneoplastic lesions. In colposcopy, high grade lesions were suspected more frequently in females of 41-50 years age group than in 31-40 years age group ( P < 0.01). Correlation between increasing age and dysplastic lesions were also observed ( P < 0.05). There was significant correlation between colposcopic diagnosis and histopathological diagnosis with a P value < 0.01. The sensitivity of colposcopy to diagnose dysplastic lesions were high 96.44% with positive predictive value of 62.65%. The specificity of colposcopy to diagnose various grades of dysplastic lesions is 34.98%. Conclusion: Colposcopy is highly sensitive method of screening dysplastic cervical lesions and should be used more frequently as a screening purpose.

Model-estimated effectiveness of single dose 9-valent HPV vaccination for HIV-positive and HIV-negative females in South Africa

BackgroundWomen in sub-Saharan Africa have high dual burden of HPV and HIV infections, which can interact to increase cervical cancer (CC) risk. The 9-valent HPV (9vHPV) vaccine has high demonstrated effectiveness against HPV types causing 90% of CC. Additionally, one dose of the 9vHPV vaccine has the potential to achieve greater coverage at lower costs than a two-dose schedule. However, the potential impact of single-dose 9vHPV vaccine accounting for HPV-HIV interactions has not been estimated. MethodsWe adapted a dynamic HIV transmission model to include HPV acquisition and CC pathogenesis and projected the impact of a single dose 9vHPV preadolescent vaccination in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We report health impacts of HPV vaccination separately for HIV-positive women stratified by HIV treatment and CD4 count and HIV-negative women. ResultsAt 90% coverage of females age 9 years with 80% lifelong vaccine efficacy, single dose HPV vaccination was projected to reduce CC incidence by 74% and mortality by 71% in the general female population at 70 years after the start of the vaccination program. Age-standardized CC incidence and mortality reductions were comparable among HIV-negative women, HIV-positive women, and HIV-positive women on ART. Health benefits were reduced when assuming waning protection at 10, 15 and 20 years after vaccination. DiscussionSingle dose 9vHPV vaccination is projected to avert substantial CC burden in South Africa and similar high HIV prevalence settings. Health benefits were comparable across all female subpopulations stratified by HIV status, CD4 count, and ART status.

Projected cervical Cancer incidence in Swaziland using three methods and local survey estimates

BackgroundThe scarcity of country data (e.g. a cancer registry) for the burden of cervical cancer (CC) in low-income countries (LCIs) such as Swaziland remains a huge challenge. Such data are critical to inform local decision-making regarding resource allocation [1]. We aimed to estimate likely cervical cancer incidence in Swaziland using three different methodologies (triangulation), to help better inform local policy guidance regarding likely higher “true” burden and increased resource allocation required for treatment, cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccine implementation.MethodsThree methods were applied to estimate CC incidence, namely: 1) application of age-specific CC incidence rates for Southern African region from GLOBOCAN 2012 extrapolated to the 2014 Swaziland female population; 2) a linear regression based model with transformed age-standardised CC incidence against hr-HPV (with and without HIV as a covariate) prevalence among women with normal cervical cytology; and 3) a mathematical model, using a natural history approach based on parameter estimates from various available literature and local survey estimates. We then triangulated estimates and uncertainty from the three models to estimate the most likely CC incidence rate for Swaziland in 2015.ResultsThe projected incidence estimates for models 1–3 were 69.4 (95% CI: 66.7–72.1), 62.6 per 100,000 (95%CI: 53.7–71.8) and 44.6 per 100,000 (41.5 to 52.1) respectively. Model 2 with HIV prevalence as covariate estimated a higher CC incidence rate estimate of 101.1 per 100,000 (95%CI: 90.3–112.2). The triangulated (‘averaged’) age-standardized CC incidence based across the 3 models for 2015 was estimated at 69.4 per 100,000 (95% CI: 63.0–77.1) in Swaziland.ConclusionIt is widely accepted that cancer incidence (and in this case CC) is underestimated in settings with poor and lacking registry data. Our findings suggest that the projected burden of CC is higher than that suggested from other sources. Local health policy decisions and decision-makers need to re-assess resource allocation to prevent and treat CC effectively, which is likely to persist given the very high burden of hr-HPV within the country.

Incidence Trends of Cervical Cancer and Its Precancerous Lesions in Women of Central Switzerland from 2000 until 2014.

Cervical cancer (CC) screening by Pap smears has led to a decrease in the incidence of CC worldwide. Indeed, the incidence of CC in Switzerland is very low; however, there is a lack of data to evaluate the efficiency of the Pap smear as a screening tool. Until now, only Pap smears have been used and other methods such as the presence of an infection with HPV have not been integrated into the routine screening. The aim of this study is to evaluate trends in the incidence of CC and its precancerous lesions in Central Switzerland, which represents a rural region, with those in urban regions and the entire country of Switzerland. All conizations and CC registered between 2000 and 2014 at the Institute of Pathology at the Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne have been included in our study. The incidence of CC and its precancerous lesions have been categorized according to age, stage, morphology, and study period. Age-standardized incidence in the Canton of Zurich and the entire country served as reference for the assessment of trends in CC incidence in the study region. In Central Switzerland, the number of conizations performed annually has more than doubled over the observed 15 years. There has been a significant increase in precancerous lesions, which were found in approximately 50% of conizations. The total number of CC diagnosed by conization increased by 37.5% and the total of CIN3 increased by 130%. Age-standardized incidence of CC and CIN3 increased from 2.4 to 3.3/100,000 and from 11.6 to 26.9/100,000, respectively. The incidence of CC was lower in Central Switzerland compared to incidence in the Canton of Zurich and in Switzerland generally. Approximately 50% of all conizations were performed on women without serious precancerous lesions. For this reason, we recommend the adaptation of screening modalities and the use of risk stratification to avoid overtreatment. In light of the forthcoming implementation of an HPV vaccination program, our data provides important baseline information.

Incidence trends of cervical cancer in Tianjin, 2007-2013

To investigate the change of incidence and age distribution of cervical cancer in Tianjin from 2007 to 2013. The incidence data of cervical cancer and population data were collected from the cancer registry system of Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau, respectively. The crude incidence, and age-standardized incidence of cervical cancer were calculated by using SPSS software. The Join Point Regression Program software was used to detect the trend of cervical cancer incidence. A total of 3 362 cervical cancer patients were diagnosed during 2007 to 2013. The average age of the patients was 48.11 years. The crude incidence was 9.85/100 000. The annual world standard age specific incidence was 6.65 /100 000. The incidence in urban area was higher than that in rural area, but the proportion of the cases in urban area showed a downward trend(trend χ(2)=21.92, P=0.001)and the proportion of the cases in rural area showed a upward trend(trend χ(2)=12.70, P=0.048). The difference was significant. The incidence was generally stable in urban area, the APC value was 2.7%(95%CI:-9.1%-16.2%), the difference was not significant(Z=0.564, P=0.597); The incidence rate in rural area showed an upward trend, APC value was 13.4%(95% CI: 3.5%-24.2%), the difference was significant(Z=3.549, P=0.016). The two incidence peaks were in age groups 40-44 years and 75-79 years. The overall incidence of cervical cancer in Tianjin was still stable during 2007-2013, and the disease mainly occurred in middle-aged and elderly population. More attention should be paid to the increased incidence of cervical cancer in rural area.

Changing trends in the incidence (1999-2011) and mortality (1983-2013) of cervical cancer in the Republic of Korea.

Cervical cancer is a well-known preventable cancer worldwide. Many countries including Korea have pursued the positive endpoint of a reduction in mortality from cervical cancer. Our aim is to examine changing trends in cervical cancer incidence and mortality after the implementation of a national preventive effort in Korea. Cervical cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2011 and mortality data from 1983 to 2013 were collected from the Korean Statistical Information Service. Yearly age-standardized rates (ASR) per 100,000 were compared using two standards: the 2005 Korean population and the world standard population, based on Segi’s world standard for incidence and the World Health Organization for mortality. In Korea, the age-standardized incidence of cervical cancer per 100,000 persons declined from 17.2 in 2000 to 11.8 in 2011. However, the group aged 25 to 29 showed a higher rate in 2011 (ASR, 6.5) than in 2000 (ASR, 3.6). The age-standardized mortality rate per 100,000 persons dropped from 2.81 in 2000 to 1.95 in 2013. In the worldwide comparison, the incidence rates remained close to the average incidence estimate of more developed regions (ASR, 9.9). The decreasing mortality trend in Korea approached the lower rate observed in Australia (ASR, 1.4) in 2010. Although the incidence rate of cervical cancer is continuously declining in Korea, it is still high relative to other countries. Moreover, incidence and mortality rates in females aged 30 years or under have recently increased. It is necessary to develop effective policy to reduce both incidence and mortality, particularly in younger age groups.

Awareness and knowledge regarding of cervical cancer, Pap smear screening and human papillomavirus infection in Gabonese women.

BackgroundCervical cancer is the commonest cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality in women in Gabon. The age-standardized incidence of cervical cancer is 19.9 per 100 000 women and the mortality rate is 8.4 per 100 000. Various international studies have identified the lack of awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer as barriers to use preventive methods. This article assesses the awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer, Pap smear testing and its use and HPV among women living in Libreville, Gabon.MethodsThis study was conducted in October 2014 in Libreville. A total of 452 women aged 16 years and above were recruited from different town locations. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the effect of demographic characteristics on the level of knowledge about cervical cancer, Pap smear testing and HPV. Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were used to identify the strength of association. Associations were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.ResultsOf all the women interviewed, 91.6% (414/452) had heard about cervical cancer and only 27.9% (126/452) had heard of Pap smear test. Of these 126 women, only 65.1% (82/126) had done cervical cancer screening and 68.3% (56/82) on the suggestion of a doctor. The most common reason for not undergoing Pap smear testing was neglect (50%, 22/44) followed by lack of financial resources (13.6%, 6/44), fear of discovering a serious disease (13.6%, 6/44) and deeming it unimportant (13.6%, 6/44). Only 8% (40/452) of the participants had heard about HPV and their knowledge of HPV was fair. There is a very poor level of knowledge about cervical cancer among Gabonese women.ConclusionThis study demonstrates a very low level of knowledge about cervical cancer, Pap smear testing and HPV in a sample of Gabonese women. There is a critical need for Gabonese women to be informed about cervical cancer and the Pap smear test to improve the use of this preventive method. The implication of health staff and Gabonese media should be included as a centerpiece in the effort to inform the population in order to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in Gabon and save women lives.

Trends in the incidence of human papillomavirus-related noncervical and cervical cancers in Alberta, Canada: apopulation-based study.

Recent epidemiologic studies have suggested that the incidence of noncervical cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) is increasing. We assessed temporal, age-specific and sex-specific changes in the incidence of HPV-associated cancers in a population-based study. We used the Alberta Cancer Registry, a registry of all cancers diagnosed in the province of Alberta, Canada, to identify patients with cancers of the oropharynx, cervix, vulva, vagina, anus and penis (cancers associated with HPV) between Jan. 1, 1975, and Dec. 31, 2009. We estimated the age-standardized incidence of each cancer by sex- and age-specific group and assessed the annual percentage change using joinpoint regression. The age-standardized incidence of oropharyngeal cancers increased for each 5-year interval of the study period among men (annual percentage change 3.4, p<0.001) and women (annual percentage change 1.5, p=0.009). For anal cancers, the age-standardized rates increased among women (annual percentage change 2.2, p<0.001) and men (annual percentage change 1.8, p=0.008). The age-standardized incidence of cervical cancer increased with age, reaching an annual percentage change of -3.5 among women aged 75-84 years (p = 0.04). The rates of other HPV-associated cancers (vulvar, vaginal and penile) showed little change. Our findings showed increases in the incidence of the HPV-associated cancers of the oropharynx and anus among men and women, and increases in cervical cancer among younger women. The incidence of HPV-related cancers in younger age groups should continue to be monitored. Programs to prevent HPV infection, such as vaccination, should be considered for males as well as females.

The burden of cervical cancer in China: Synthesis of the evidence

The burden of cervical cancer in China has not been characterized in detail. We reviewed cervical cancer data from national mortality surveys and registries, and conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of high-grade lesions (HSIL) and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections in rural Shanxi Province. We found that a national survey in the 1970s estimated age-standardized cervical cancer mortality rates as ~15 and ~83/100,000 women nationally and in Xiangyuan, Shanxi; but the latest survey (2004-2005) found much lower rates of ~3 and ~7/100,000, respectively. IARC registries record age-standardized cervical cancer incidence in China as <5/100,000 (1998-2002); but the five registry sites cover <2% of the population, and the gross domestic product per capita at each of the registry sites is higher than China's average (by a factor ranging from 1.3 to 3.9). The pooled estimate of the prevalence of HSIL and HR-HPV in women aged 30-54 years in Shanxi was 3.7%(95%CI:2.7-4.8%) and 17.2%(95%CI:13.1-21.3%), respectively. Based on a feasible range informed by the incidence data for China and other unscreened populations, the predicted indicative annual number of new cervical cancer cases nationally, in the absence of any intervention, ranges from ~27,000 to 130,000 (2010) to 42,000 to 187,000 (2050). In conclusion, recent data suggest comparatively low rates of cervical cancer incidence in China, which may be partly explained by the location of registry sites in higher socioeconomic status areas. However, the evidence is consistent with considerable heterogeneity within China, with a higher disease burden in some rural areas such as Shanxi. Therefore, the lower reported rates of cervical cancer in China should be interpreted cautiously.

Inequalities in the incidence of cervical cancer in South East England 2001–2005: an investigation of population risk factors

BackgroundThe incidence of cervical cancer varies dramatically, both globally and within individual countries. The age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer was compared across primary care trusts (PCTs) in South East England, taking into account the prevalence of known behavioural risk factors, screening coverage and the deprivation of the area.MethodsData on 2,231 cases diagnosed between 2001 and 2005 were extracted from the Thames Cancer Registry, and data on risk factors and screening coverage were collated from publicly available sources. Age-standardised incidence rates were calculated for each PCT using cases of squamous cell carcinoma in the screening age group (25–64 years).ResultsThe age-standardised incidence rate for cervical cancer in South East England was 6.7 per 100,000 population (European standard) but varied 3.1 fold between individual PCTs. Correlations between the age-standardised incidence rate and smoking prevalence, teenage conception rates, and deprivation were highly significant at the PCT level (p < 0.001). However, screening coverage was not associated with the incidence of cervical cancer at the PCT level. Poisson regression indicated that these variables were all highly correlated and could not determine the level of independent contribution at a population level.ConclusionThere is excess disease burden within South East England. Significant public health gains can be made by reducing exposure to known risk factors at a population level.

Survival from cancer of the uterine cervix in England and Wales up to 2001

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women worldwide, after cancers of the breast and large bowel, with approximately 470 000 new cases a year in 2000, some 10% of all cancers in women (Ferlay et al, 2001). Approximately 80% of all cases occur in developing countries, where cervical cancer is often the most common cancer in women, whereas in developed countries, cervical cancer only accounts for about 5% of all cancers in women. It has been known for 30 years from observational data that cervical cancer is likely to have an infectious component (Beral, 1974), subsequently confirmed as HPV (Bosch et al, 1994). Trials of vaccination already appear promising for primary prevention (Gravitt and Shah, 2005; Mao et al, 2006). In England and Wales, the age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer in the 1970s and 1980s remained between 14 and 16 per 100 000, although age-specific rates were influenced by strong cohort effects (those women born in the 1890s were at high risk, those born in the mid-1930s at low risk). The cervical screening programme began in the 1960s, offering cervical smear tests to detect premalignant lesions in women aged 25–64 years on a 5-yearly basis, but it was largely ineffective until the late 1980s (Murphy et al, 1988). In 1988, a national call and re-call system was established and coverage rose rapidly to approximately 85% (Quinn et al, 1999). As a result of these improvements, the incidence of invasive malignancy fell continuously after 1990 to below 9 per 100 000 in 2000 (Quinn et al, 2001; Office for National Statistics, 2003a). Mortality from cervical cancer in England and Wales had been declining steadily at approximately 1.5% each year from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. This long-term decline began before the introduction of screening. From 1990, the rate of decline in mortality increased three-fold, and by 2002 the age-standardised death rate had fallen to 29 per 100 000, barely one-third of the death rate in 1971 (83 per 100 000) (Office for National Statistics, 1999, 2003b). Only 1000 deaths were attributed to cervical cancer in 2002, and the screening programme has been credited with preventing 800 or more deaths a year (Quinn et al, 1999; Peto et al, 2004). We analysed the data for 44 090 women diagnosed with invasive cancer of the uterine cervix in England and Wales during the 14-year period 1986–1999, some 90% of those eligible for inclusion in the analyses. Approximately 4% of women otherwise eligible for analysis were excluded with zero recorded survival (date of diagnosis same as date of death). The proportion of women for whom recorded survival was zero did not vary between socioeconomic groups, however, and it was stable throughout the 1990s (data not shown). Therefore, these exclusions are unlikely to have had any substantial impact on socioeconomic gradients in survival, or on trends in the gradient. A further 3% of women with cervical cancer were excluded because it was not their first primary malignancy, and 2% because their vital status was unknown on 5 November 2002, the date when the data were extracted for analysis. Some two-thirds (67%) of cervical cancers were squamous carcinomas, and a further 16% were adenocarcinomas: both proportions were similar throughout the 1990s. Other morphological types were individually rare, but cancers with poorly specified morphology accounted for about 10%. Annual incidence rates for invasive cervical cancer in the late 1990s were 50% higher among the most deprived women (12.8 per 100 000) than among the most affluent (8.5 per 100 000), but this difference was less marked than in the early 1990s (63%). This is because incidence declined more among the most deprived women over this period (18%) than among the most affluent (11%) (Figure 1). Figure 1 Trends in the age-standardised incidence of cervical cancer in women aged 15–99 years, by deprivation group: England and Wales, 1986–1999.

Incidence, mortality and survival from invasive cervical cancer in Vaud, Switzerland, 1974-1991

Several factors have contributed to the substantial decline in mortality from cervical cancer registered in most areas of the world, i.e., improved sexual hygiene, changes in reproductive factors, cervical screening, and, possibly, improved treatment. Each of these components is evaluated through a systematic inspection of trends in incidence, mortality and survival rates registered for a well-defined population. Trends in incidence, mortality and survival from invasive cervical cancer over the period 1974-1991 were analysed for three separate age groups (< 55, 55-64, > or = 65 years), histological type and stage using data from the Cancer Registry of the Swiss Canton of Vaud. Below age 55, the age-standardized (world standard) incidence rate was 9.3/100,000 women in 1974-76, it declined steadily thereafter down to 2.9 in 1986-88, but increased to 4.3 in 1989-91. In the age group 55-64, cervical cancer incidence remained around 40/100,000 to the end of the 1970s, but thereafter declined to 10.9 in 1989-91. No consistent trend was observed in elderly women, and the rate in 1989-91 (26.7/100,000) was similar to that in 1974-76 (33.7). The overall age-standardized cervical cancer incidence declined from 13.5/100,000 in 1974-76 to 5.8 in 1986-88, but rose to 6.4 in 1989-91. A similar pattern was observed for mortality, with a fall in rates in younger women between 1974 and 1985 (from 2.1 to 0.6/100,000), and a subsequent rise to 1.1/100,000 in 1989-91. A substantial decline in mortality was observed in women aged 55 to 64 since the early 1980's, from 17.2 in 1980-82 to 3.3 in 1989-91. No clear mortality trend was evident in older women. Overall, cervical cancer mortality declined from 4.3/100,000 in 1974-76 to 2.3 in 1989-91. The five-year relative survival rates were around 0.70-0.75 for younger women, around 0.60 for those aged 55 to 64, and 0.50 for elderly ones. In a Cox proportional hazard model, age and clinical stage were significantly related to survival, but not histological type and calendar period of diagnosis. No substantial change in survival from invasive cervical cancer was observed over the 18-year period considered, nor was there any notable change in the stage distribution over time. The proportion of adenocarcinomas, however, appears to have increased in the most recent calendar period. These data reflect the impact of screening on cervical cancer rates, which, however, appeared restricted to women below age 65. An upward trend in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates for younger women was also apparent, and there was no indication from these data of an improved survival for invasive cervical cancer patients over the last two decades. Extention of screening to elderly women appears to be a priority for reducing cervical cancer rates in this population.