Introduction to cervical cancer
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Human cancer cells in culture
(Matthew Daniels, Wellcome Photo Library)
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common female malignancy, with only breast cancer occurring more frequently. In the UK, cervical cancer is the third most common gynaecological malignancy after ovarian and endometrial cancer.
The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer has fallen significantly since the introduction of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) in 1988. The incidence of cervical cancer fell by 42% between 1988 and 1997, and in 2002 the annual number of deaths from the disease in England fell below 1000 for the first time.
Despite this there were still 2938 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in the UK in 2008 and 957 deaths from the disease in the same year (Cancer Research UK, accessed April 2012).
The relative rarity of cervical cancer is such that, together with other gynaecological cancers, cases should be managed in a recognised cancer centre to optimise multidisciplinary management, as recommended by the Department of Health in its guidance Improving outcomes in gynaecological cancers.
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Learning objectives When you have completed this tutorial you will be able to:
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Last updated: 01/05/12 (tutorial revised and updated by Dr Susanne Booth)
30/11/09 (revised FIGO cancer staging incorporated into the tutorial by Dr Nick Wood. See the Staging section for the FIGO staging table)
02/04/09 (research paper added in the 'Epidemiology – Suggested and further reading' section)
16/03/09 (BJOG paper added in the 'Epidemiology – Objections to the HPV vaccine' and 'Suggested and further reading' sections).
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