Genital Cancers in Women: Cervical Cancer

In 2015 in the United States, it is estimated there will be approximately 12,900 new patients with cervical cancer and 4,100 will die of the disease. If diagnosed at a localized stage, the 5-year survival rate exceeds 90%. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. Current recommendations for cervical cancer screening include Papanicolaou (Pap) testing every 3 years for women ages 21 to 29 years. For women ages 30 to 65 years, an alternative is screening with Pap and HPV testing every 5 years. If screening results are abnormal, further evaluation can be guided by an algorithm. For a diagnosis of carcinoma in situ or grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), treatment typically involves ablation or excision. Women with CIN 1 or CIN 2 that persists typically are treated with the same methods. For women diagnosed with early-stage invasive cancer, standard treatment is radical hysterectomy. More advanced cancers also are treated with surgery, but chemotherapy and/or radiation also may be used depending on cancer stage. Because most cervical cancer is caused by HPV, it is potentially preventable with HPV vaccination, which is recommended for females and males, ideally beginning at age 11 or 12 years.