Cervical Cancer

• The facts
• Our activities
• Other resources

The numbers

• Worldwide, about a half-million women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and it claims more than a quarter-million lives. Globally, it's the second-most common cancer affecting women and is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
  


• About 10,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 4,000 die from it every year.
  


• Texas has the second-highest incidence of cervical cancer in the country, with more than 1,000 Texas women being diagnosed with the disease every year. Texas also has a higher-than-average mortality rate for cervical cancer.
  


• Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV can be detected in more than 99% of all cervical cancer cases.
  


• About 20-million people are currently infected with HPV, and about 6.2-million Americans a year get a genital HPV infection.
  


• There are more than 100 types of HPV. More than 30 of them can be transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact. About half of these genital HPVs are considered "high-risk," and can lead to cervical cancer.
  


• The most dangerous types of HPV are HPV 16 and 18; together, these two types of HPV account for about 70% of cervical cancer cases.
  


• HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus. At least half of sexually active men and women get a genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80% of women have acquired a genital HPV infection.
  


• Genital HPV infections are usually acquired by males and females in their late teens and 20s; infection becomes less likely in women over 30.
  


• Most genital HPV infections do not show any symptoms at all, and go away without treatment over the course of a few years. About 90% of women who get a genital HPV infection fight it naturally through their immune system and eliminate it within two years.
  


• The only way to eliminate risk for genital HPV is to refrain from genital contact completely.
  


• There is no cure for genital HPV infections, but the warts, lesions and other abnormal cell growth they cause can be treated to help prevent it from becoming cancerous.
  


• Women whose HPV-related cervical abnormalities are discovered and treated early - at the pre-cancerous stage - have an almost 100% survival rate.

Sources: National Cancer Institute; American Cancer Society; Centers for Disease Control; Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.

Risk factors for cervical cancer.

• Smoking
  


• Sexual activity beginning at an early age
  


• Multiple sexual partners
  


• More than two full-term pregnancies
  


• HIV/AIDS or other conditions that affect the immune system
  


• Chlamydia
  


• Diet low in fruits and vegetables
  


• Low income or other hindrance to consistent preventive healthcare measures
  


• Family history of cervical cancer

There are ways to prevent cervical cancer. Click here for more information.

Taking action

The Governor's Commission for Women distributed 10,000 educational brochures about HPV and cervical cancer at the 2006 Texas Conference for Women in Austin.

Related resources

• Texas Cancer Council
  The Texas Cancer Council is the state agency promoting cancer prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and awareness through collaborative projects and partnerships in the fight against cancer.
  www.texascancercouncil.org
  


• Texas Cancer Data Center
  The Texas Cancer Data Center is an information service, funded by the Texas Cancer Council and dedicated to empowering Texans with the knowledge they need to reduce the human and economic impact of cancer.
  www.txcancer.org
  


• Texas Cancer Registry
  The Texas Cancer Registry collects cancer data and maintains a quality statewide population-based cancer registry with complete, timely and accurate data for use by Texas healthcare practitioners, cancer researchers, health planners, the public and other government entities.
  www.dshs.state.tx.us/tcr
  


• M. D. Anderson Cancer Center - Cervical Cancer
  The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has been providing exceptional care for cancer patients since 1941.
  www.mdanderson.org/diseases/Cervical
  


• Breast and Cervical Cancer in Texas
  The Texas Department of State Health Services administers the Texas Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program. Local contractors around the state work to provide services, improve services and make services known to women with breast and cervical cancer.
  www.dshs.state.tx.us/bcccp
  


• American Cancer Society - Cervical Cancer
  Learn about breast cancer risk factors, prevention, treatment and more.
  www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.asp
  


• National Cancer Institute - Cervical Cancer
  This branch of the U.S. National Institutes of Health provides a wealth of information, publications and other resources on cervical cancer and its connection to HPV.
  www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/cervical
  


• National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
  This program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works to provide critical breast and cervical cancer screening services to underserved women throughout America.
  www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/index.htm
  


• Gynecologic Cancer Foundation
  The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation works to raise public awareness of cancer prevention, early diagnosis and proper treatment, and supports related research and training.
  www.nccc-online.org
  


• Women's Cancer Network
  The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and CancerSource have developed the Women's Cancer Network to help keep women informed and enable them to be their own health advocates.
  www.wcn.org
  


• National Cervical Cancer Public Education Campaign
  Also led by the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the National Cervical Cancer Public Education Campaign provides women and their doctors with information about what causes cervical cancer and the best ways of preventing or detecting it.
  www.cervicalcancercampaign.org
  


• National Cervical Cancer Coalition
  The National Cervical Cancer Coalition is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to serving women with or at risk for cervical cancer and HPV.
  www.nccc-online.org
  


• Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention - Your Disease Risk
  The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention provides a cervical cancer fact sheet, information on risk factors, and a questionnaire to help you determine how at-risk you are for cervical cancer.
  www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu/hccpquiz.pl?lang=english&func=home&quiz=cervical
  


• EyesOnThePrize.org
  EyesOnThePrize.org is a nonprofit online support group for gynecologic cancer survivors, their families and caregivers.
  www.eyesontheprize.org
  


• Make the Connection
  Make the Connection is part of a national campaign, led by the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation and Step Up Women's Network, to heighten public awareness about the connection between HPV and cervical cancer.
  www.maketheconnection.org
  


• Tell Someone
  Tell Someone is part of a national campaign, led by pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc., to urge women to talk with their doctors, get tested, get treated, and tell other women about the connection between HPV and cervical cancer.
  tell-someone.hpv.com