According to a CDC
report published recently from Atlanta (USA),
cervical cancer incidence for Hispanic women is
approximately twice that for non-Hispanic women.
CDC
analyzed incidence data for Hispanic and non-Hispanic women during
1992--1999 in 11 geographic areas.
The analysis indicates that the numbers of invasive cervical cancer
decreased for Hispanic and non-Hispanic women. However,
the incidence of invasive cervical cancer was 16.9 per 100,000
women for Hispanic women 30 and older, compared with 8.9 for
non-Hispanic women.
During
1973--1999, both the incidence of and death rates for cervical cancer
decreased approximately 50% in the United States. In the U.S., for 2002,
approximately 13,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are expected,
and approximately 4,100 women will die from the disease.
Although invasive cervical cancer can be prevented by regular
screening, the prevalence of Papanicolaou (Pap) testing remains relatively
low among minority populations such as Hispanic women.
It is believed that
these women sometimes lack easy access to
screening tests because of their age, low education, low income and lack
of health insurance.
In an editorial
note accompanying this report, the authors state that "nonuse
of other screening tests and unrecognized social-cultural factors also
might play a role. Research is needed to better understand barriers to
screening practices." They add
that to decrease incidence of advanced-stage cervical cancer,
public health programs should target women with culturally appropriate
interventions that encourage screening, especially for Hispanic women aged
30 and older and non-Hispanic women 50 and older. For women with abnormal
Pap test results, appropriate diagnostic and treatment services also
should be accessible.
The
screening tests are recommended every three years for women who are
sexually active. Cervical cancer is virtually always caused by the human
papilloma virus, which is transmitted sexually.
