Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally with
around 660 000 new cases and around 350 000 deaths in 2022.
The highest rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality are in low- and
middle-income countries. This reflects major inequities driven by lack of
access to national HPV vaccination, cervical screening and treatment
services and social and economic determinants.
Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with the human
papillomavirus (HPV). Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to
develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV.
Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with
around 660 000 new cases in 2022. In the same year, about 94% of the 350
000 deaths caused by cervical cancer occurred in low- and middle-income
countries. The highest rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality are in
sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Central America and South-East Asia. Regional
differences in the cervical cancer burden are related to inequalities in access
to vaccination, screening and treatment services, risk factors including HIV
prevalence, and social and economic determinants such as sex, gender
biases and poverty. Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop
cervical cancer compared to the general population, and an estimated 5% of
all cervical cancer cases are attributable to HIV (1). Cervical cancer
disproportionately affects younger women, and as a result, 20% of children
who lose their mother to cancer do so due to cervical cancer (2).
Types of cervical cancer
Cervical cancers and cervical pre-cancers are classified by how they look in
the lab s with a microscope. The main types of cervical cancers are
squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
Most (up to 9 out of 10) cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
These cancers develop from cells in the exocervix. Squamous cell
carcinomas most often begin in the transformation zone (where the
exocervix joins the endocervix).
Most of the other cervical cancers are adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas
are cancers that develop from glandular cells. Cervical adenocarcinoma
develops from the mucus-producing gland cells of the endocervix.
Less commonly, cervical cancers have features of both squamous cell
carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. These are called adenosquamous
carcinomas or mixed carcinomas.
Although almost all cervical cancers are either squamous cell carcinomas or
adenocarcinomas, other types of cancer also can develop in the cervix.
These other types, such as melanoma, sarcoma, and lymphoma, occur more
commonly in other parts of the body.
Early stages of cervical cancer don’t usually involve symptoms and are hard
to detect. The first signs of cervical cancer may take time to develop.
Signs and symptoms of Stage I cervical cancer can include:
Watery or bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and can have a foul
odor.
Vaginal bleeding after sex, between menstrual periods or after menopause.
Pain during sex (dyspareunia).
If cancer has spread to nearby tissues or organs, symptoms may include:
Difficult or painful urination, sometimes with blood in your urine.
Diarrhea, pain or bleeding from your rectum when pooping.
Fatigue, loss of weight and appetite.
A general feeling of illness.
Dull backache or swelling in your legs.
Pelvic/abdominal pain.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a group of 200 known viruses.
They do not cause concerns in most people, but infection with some high-risk
types is common and can cause genital warts or cancer.
In 90% of people the body controls the infection by itself. Persistent HPV
infection with high-risk HPV types is the cause of cervical cancer and is
associated with cancers of the vulva, vagina, mouth/throat, penis and anus
(1).
In 2019, HPV caused an estimated 620 000 cancer cases in women and 70
000 cancer cases in men (1).
Prophylactic vaccination against HPV can prevent these cancers. In addition,
HPV-screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions is an effective way to
prevent cervical cancer.
Overview
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection.
Almost all sexually active people will be infected at some point in their lives,
usually without symptoms.
HPV can affect the skin, genital area and throat.
Condoms help prevent HPV but do not offer total protection because they do
not cover all the genital skin.
HPV usually goes away on its own without treatment. Some HPV infections
cause genital warts. Others can cause abnormal cells to develop, which go
on to become cancer.
Cancers from HPV can be prevented with vaccines.
The vaccine does not contain any live virus or DNA from the virus so it
cannot cause cancer or other HPV-related illnesses. The HPV vaccine is not
used to treat HPV infections or diseases caused by HPV, but instead to
prevent the development of cancers.
Currently, cervical cancer is the only HPV-caused cancer for which screening
tests are available. Screening tests are used to check for disease when there
are no symptoms. The goal of screening for cervical cancer is to find
precancerous cell changes before they become cancer and when treatment
can prevent cancer from developing. Screening for cervical cancer is an
important part of routine health care for people who have a cervix. This
includes women and transgender men who still have a cervix.
Cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer caused by HPV, other
less common cancers affecting men and women, including anal, vulvar,
vaginal, mouth/throat and penile cancers.
