Cervical Cancer

In an average year, 550 Ohio women develop invasive cervical cancer, and 192 women die of the disease. The incidence rate of cervical cancer in Ohio from 1996-1999 was 9.2 per 100,000 and the mortality rate was 3.1 per 100,000. As Pap screening becomes more prevalent, precancerous lesions of the cervix will be detected far more frequently than invasive cancer.

Risk Factors

Cervical cancer risk has been linked to sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections with certain types of human papilloma virus (HPV). Risk factors for cervical cancer include:

• Age (approximately 2 out of 3 cervical cancer deaths occur among women aged 55+)
• Race (Hispanic women have the highest risk of developing cervical cancer – about twice as high as white women; African-American women have the highest cervical cancer mortality)
• Women who have multiple sexual partners
• Sex at an early age
• Sexually transmitted infections, particularly HPV
• Having a sexual partner who has had multiple sexual partners
• Cigarette smoking
   

Prevention and Early Detection

Invasive cervical cancer is almost totally preventable by detection of precancerous lesions through screening with the Pap test. The American Cancer Society recommends that all women who have reached age 18, and those who are or have been sexually active, regardless of age should be screened regularly for cervical cancer. Most cervical cancer can be prevented by avoiding multiple sexual partners, by young women delaying their first sexual experience until they are older, by not smoking, by eating a healthy diet, and by using condoms during sexual intercourse.

Last Updated: 10/24/02

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