Epidemiology of Cervical Cancer

In 1985, 7.6 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in 24 different regions all over the world (1). Globally, cervical cancer is the fifth most frequent malignancy and second among women, with an annual estimate of 471,000 new cases and 213,000 deaths. The age-adjusted incidence rates for developed countries are 7.6 to 11.8 per 105 and for developing countries, 17.6 to 46.8 per 105 (1,2). This variation in the incidence of cervical cancer is also present within countries, where rural and poor areas have the highest rates.