Epidemiology of cervical cancer: international comparison

L. Dušek, J. Mužík, D. Malúšková, L. Šnajdrová

Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno (Czech Republic)

Cervical cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women worldwide. In 2012, according to the GLOBOCAN estimates [1], there were 572,624 new cases of cervical cancer worldwide (4th most common cancer in women worldwide, accounting for 7.9% of all cancers in women apart from non-melanoma skin cancers), and 58,373 new cases of cervical cancer in Europe (6th most common cancer in women in Europe, accounting for 3.6% of all cancers in women apart from non-melanoma skin cancers). In 2012, there were an estimated 265,672 deaths from cervical cancer worldwide (7.5% of the total number of cancer deaths in women, 4th most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women), and 24,404 deaths from cervical cancer in Europe (3.1% of the total number of cancer deaths in women, 7th most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women). The 5-year prevalence of cervical cancer (i.e., the number of cervical cancer patients who were still alive five years after diagnosis) in 2012 was estimated at 1,547,161 worldwide (59.2 cervical cancer survivors per 100,000 women) and 199,817 in Europe (61.0 cervical cancer survivors per 100,000 women). In 2012, the cumulative risk of cervical cancer in women aged under 75 was 1.42% worldwide and 1.07% in Europe [1].

Tables 1 and 2 provide a basic overview of epidemiological characteristics of cervical cancer worldwide and in Europe.

Czech cervical cancer incidence rates rank 107th worldwide and 13th in Europe, while Czech cervical cancer mortality rates rank 137th worldwide and 18th in Europe.

Figure 1: International comparison of cervical cancer (C53) incidence rates. ASR(W) – age-standardised world incidence rate per 100,000 women. Source: GLOBOCAN 2012 [1].	Figure 2: International comparison of cervical cancer (C53) mortality rates. ASR(W) – age-standardised world mortality rate per 100,000 women. Source: GLOBOCAN 2012 [1].

International epidemiological statistics make it possible to estimate the ratio of mortality to incidence rates (M/I), which can be considered as an indirect indicator of survival of cervical cancer patients in a given country (Figure 3). According to the most recent statistics, the Czech Republic with its M/I ratio at 0.23 is under the European average, i.e. among the developed Western European countries, for which the M/I ratio ranges between 0.17 and 0.27. Recent data from the Czech National Cancer Registry [2], i.e. the incidence of 12.96 and the mortality of 3.98 (data from 2011 recalculated as ASR-W), give the ratio of 0.3.

Internationally assessed prevalence rates (i.e., number of patients patients still alive five years after diagnosis) are shown in Figure 4. As a logical consequence, the highest prevalence rates have been reported for countries with the lowest values of M/I ratio. As for cervical cancer prevalence rates, the Czech Republic is approximately on the same level as most other East European countries.

Figure 3: International comparison of the ratio of mortality to incidence rates (M/I), cervical cancer (C53). Evaluated acccording to ASR(W) – age-standardised world incidence rate per 100,000 women. Source: GLOBOCAN 2012 [1].	Figure 4: International comparison of cervical cancer (C53) prevalence rates (patients still alive five years after diagnosis. Source: GLOBOCAN 2012 [1].

Let us conclude this overview of international statistics with a summary of cumulative risk of cervical cancer in women from birth until the age of 75 (Figure 6). Cumulative risk for the Czech Republic is 1.31, so the Czech female population occupies the 14th position in Europe and the 112th position globally.

Figure 5: International comparison of cumulative risk of cervical cancer (C53) from birth to 75 years of age. Source: GLOBOCAN 2012 [1].

References

1. Ferlay, J., Soerjomataram, I., Ervik, M., Dikshit, R., Eser, S., Mathers, C., Rebelo, M., Parkin, D.M., Forman, D., Bray, F.: GLOBOCAN 2012 v1.0, Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC CancerBase No. 11 [online]. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon (France) 2013. Available from WWW: http://globocan.iarc.fr.
2. Dušek L., Mužík J., Kubásek M., Koptíková J., Žaloudík J., Vyzula R. Epidemiology of malignant tumours in the Czech Republic [online]. Masaryk University, Brno (Czech Republic) 2005. Available from WWW: http://www.svod.cz. Version 7.0 [2007], ISSN 1802 – 8861.

Last updated on 19 December 2014