In an average year, 487 Ohio women develop invasive cervical cancer and 159 women die of the disease. The average annual incidence rate of cervical cancer in Ohio from 2003-2007 was 8.0 per 100,000 and the average annual mortality rate was 2.4 per 100,000. From 1991 to 2007, the rate of cervical cancer declined 8 percent for African American females (from 4.8 per 100,000 to 4.4 per 100,000) and 21 percent for white females (from 3.3 per 100,000 to 2.6 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
The primary cause of cervical cancer is infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), especially types 16 and 18. Behaviors that increase the risk of contracting HPV include the following:
Having multiple sexual partners
Sex at an early age
Having a sexual partner who has multiple sexual partners
Having a male sexual partner who is not circumcised
Other risk factors include:
Age (Half the women who develop cervical cancer are 35-55, and 20 percent are diagnosed at 65 and older)
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) (Women whose mothers were given DES during pregnancy have slightly increased risk)
Race (African American women have 1.5 times the risk of non-Hispanic white women)
Ethnicity (Hispanic women have more than twice the risk of developing cervical cancer compared to non-Hispanic white women)
Long-term use of oral contraceptives (five or more years use, risk decreases once use discontinues)
Multiple pregnancies
No or irregular Pap screening
Cigarette smoking
Weakened Immunity
Early Detection and Prevention
Invasive cervical cancer is almost totally preventable by detection of precancerous lesions through screening with the Pap test. The American Cancer Society recommends that women begin cervical cancer screening within three years of having vaginal intercourse, but no later than age 21. Most cases of cervical cancer can be prevented if a woman avoids sexual behavior that leads to infection with HPV. The first vaccines to be developed to prevent the most common HPV infections have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are most effective if given before a woman becomes sexually active.
*East Central Division of American Cancer Society, Ohio Department of Health, The Ohio State University. Ohio Cancer Facts & Figures, 2010. Columbus, Ohio: American Cancer Society; 2010.
annual incidence rate of cervical cancer in Ohio from 2003-2007 was 8.0 per 100,000 and the average annual mortality rate was 2.4 per 100,000. From 1991 to 2007, the rate of cervical cancer declined 8 percent for African American females (from 4.8 per 100,000 to 4.4 per 100,000) and 21 percent for white females (from 3.3 per 100,000 to 2.6 per 100,000). As Pap screening becomes more prevalent, precancerous lesions of the cervix will be detected far more frequently than invasive cancer.