Cervical Cancer Statistics
12,000 – estimated number of
U.S. women diagnosed with
cervical cancer in 2010
4,120 – estimated number of
U.S. women who died from
cervical cancer in 2010
500,000 – approximate number
of women worldwide diagnosed
with cervical cancer every year
25,000 – approximate number
of women worldwide who die
from cervical cancer every year
1 in 147 – chances a woman
will be diagnosed with cervical
cancer at some point in her life
70% – percentage of cervical
cancers caused by preventable
HPV types
20 million – approximate
number of Americans (men and
women) currently infected with
HPV
1 in 2 – chances that a
sexually active American will
get HPV at some point in their
life
Was this article helpful? Yes No
Feedback?
Advertisement
Overall, the good news surrounding cervical
cancer continued in 2010. For yet another
year, while incidences of cervical cancer
remained the same, deaths resulting from the
disease were down in the United States. What
was formerly a mystery is now very well
understood. In fact, cervical cancer is now
considered the easiest female cancer to
prevent; all it takes is regular screenings.
However, that doesn't mean doctors and
medical researchers are just sitting on their
hands when it comes to cervical cancer. They
continue to aggressively research ways to
maintain the steady decline of cervical cancer
complications.
Screening
Until recently, it was thought that a Pap test
(or " Pap smear ") was the best way to screen
for cervical cancer. But in April of 2010, the
British Journal of Cancer published a study
showing that for women over 30, HPV tests—
which look for signs of the human
papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted
infection that causes most cases of cervical
cancers—make much more effective primary
screening tools. HPV tests are more likely to
catch potential cervical abnormalities.
Because of their higher effectiveness—and due
to the fact that cervical cancer is slow-
growing—HPV tests would only have to be
administered every five years or so to be
effective.
The Vaccine
There is now an effective HPV vaccine
available that prevents 90 percent of genital
warts and 70 percent of cervical cancers . In
2009, one year after the Federal Drug
Administration (FDA) approved a very first
HPV vaccine, Gardisil, a second— Cervarix—
was approved for the U.S. market.
The good news is that more and more people
are learning of the HPV vaccine and the rate
of vaccination is increasing; the bad news is
that it is not increasing nearly fast enough.
Research done over the last year has revealed
that even though the HPV vaccine is known to
be safe and effective, vaccination is still not
quite par for the course. In fact, according to
a report out of the Washington University
School of Medicine, only about one in every
three young women (ages 13 to 17) who
should get the vaccine are being vaccinated.
That report was published in June; a study
published in November showed that fewer than
30 percent of those women eligible for the
HPV vaccine were choosing to get it, and only
about a third of those who began the
vaccination process completed the three doses
needed for the vaccine to be fully effective.
The primary reasons for the lack of
participation in vaccination programs seem to
stem from social pressures. For example,
minority women were less likely to follow
through on their vaccination. In addition,
young women have a more difficult time
getting vaccinated than older women.
Although national guidelines encourage
doctors to recommend the vaccine to girls
starting at age 11, many doctors are hesitant
to do so. A significant number of doctors
surveyed stated that "parent opposition for
moral or religious reasons" was a significant
barrier to stronger vaccine recommendations.
The perception among some parents and
guardians is that vaccination against HPV
would lead to increased sexual behavior
among teens. Public health officials, however,
strongly argue that this is a misguided belief
and continue to call for the fostering of
increased participation in vaccination
programs and the elimination of barriers to
the vaccine for young women and minority
women.
Cervical Cancer Around the World
Worldwide, cervical cancer incidence and
death rates have not improved with the
steadiness that they have in the United States.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer
for women in Central America, sub-Saharan
Africa, and in many parts of South America
and Southeast Asia. Worldwide, a woman dies
of cervical cancer approximately every two
minutes.
Public health professionals are out to improve
these numbers. Among other developments,
scientists have developed a needle-free
delivery system for the HPV vaccine—a dry
powder that goes directly to the mucous
membranes in the respiratory tract or the
mouth. Unlike needle injection, the powder is
not susceptible to contamination and will be
easier to store and transport in developing
countries. Health professionals predict that a
needle-free vaccine could lead to a significant
increase in women participating in a
vaccination program.
Another 2010 development that bodes well for
the international outlook was the release of a
study done by researchers at the Duke
Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. It is
well known that many easy-to-make vaccines
(such as the vaccine for polio) are
manufactured in places like India for relative
pennies compared to their cost in the U.S.
Apparently, the same could soon be the norm
for the HPV vaccine as well. The researchers
analyzed patents worldwide and discovered
that "biosimilar" vaccines that would protect
against HPV could be legally produced in
India. The result could be cheap, generic
vaccines that would be affordable even for
third-world populations.
Health professionals believe that these, and
other developments on the horizon, will soon
result in positive trends in cervical cancer
worldwide that will eventually match those in
the United States.
Thursday, 29 May 2014
The Latest Cervical Cancer News and Info
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment