Feat of Cervical Cancer Screening Measure

A recent model predicted cervical cancer rates are stable or trending down in countries with effective screening measures and similar trends to follow for next 15 years, based on countries’ socioeconomic development.

A recent trend analysis indicates that cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates have remained stable or are dropping in most countries across the globe with effective screening measures.

These rates differ based on each country’s socioeconomic development level, cervical cancer screening use, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates. The findings are published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Cervical Cancer - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications & Prevention
Cancer cervix refers to cancerous growth in the cervix and usually occurs in the transition called squamo-columnar junction.

‘Potent screening can reduce the cervical cancer incidence and mortality.’

Cervical cancer is a potentially preventable disease, through screening to detect and treat precancerous lesions and through vaccination against HPV.

To reveal the most recent global patterns and trends of cervical cancer, a team of researchers from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China, examined information released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer pertaining to 31 countries.

The researchers found that cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates were lower in more socioeconomically developed countries.

Pap smear and Cervical Cancer Screening
Pap smear is the most common test used in screening cervical cancer caused by an infection with human papilloma virus. Pap smear should be repeated every 1 to 3 years till the age of 65 years.

Both past and predicted trends appear to be stable or decreasing in most countries, especially in those with effective cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination programs.

Over the most recent 10 years, 12 countries had stable cervical cancer incidence rates, 14 had decreasing rates, and five had increasing rates. In terms of mortality from cervical cancer, 12 countries had stable rates, 18 had decreasing rates, and one had an increased rate.

Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines 2020
American Cancer Society updated the cervical cancer screening guidelines. The new guidelines are simple, and they reflect the developments in cervical cancer prevention.

In predictions over the next 15 years for 27 countries, most are expected to have stable or decreasing trends. Ten are predicted to have stable incidence rates, nine to have decreasing rates, and eight to have increasing rates.

For mortality from cervical cancer, 16 are predicted to have stable rates, 10 to have decreasing rates, and one to have an increasing rate.

New Cancer Atlas Indicates That Progress in Fighting Cancer is Possible and Achievable
The 2019 Cancer Atlas indicates that the global fight against cancer is not only possible, but also achievable. It focuses on reducing the global cancer burden through access to information and cancer services.

Effective cervical cancer screening programs and HPV vaccination should be further popularized to increase their coverage and ultimately decrease cervical cancer’s short-, mid-, and long-term burden.

Source-Medindia