Cervical Cancer: Early Detection and Prevention Make a Difference

Even though cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women aged 20 to 39 years, the news around the disease for anyone born with a cervix is mostly good.

Case and point: the death rate for cervical cancer declined by more than 50% since the mid-1970s, thanks in large part to screenings. In addition, the rate of diagnosis for women younger than 25 has dropped by over 65% since the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Cervical Cancer Numbers for 2024

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 13,820 new cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2024. That same year, over 4,300 women died from the disease.

Screenings

As with all cancers, regular screenings and early detection make a huge difference in viable treatment options and likely outcomes.

In the case of cervical cancer, ANYONE BORN WITH A CERVIX SHOULD BE SCREENED.

Screenings for cervical cancer typically include a Pap test and a test for HPV. In both cases, cells are taken from the cervix and sent to a lab for testing. The HPV test is a recent but important addition to screenings as it detects two strains of the virus known to cause 70% of cervical cancers. If your screening reveals you have a high-risk type of HPV, your doctor can develop a plan for follow-up monitoring, further testing, or even treatment of abnormal cells.

Prevention

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV vaccines have the potential to prevent more than 90% of HPV-related cancers, including cervical precancers in young women. 

As a member of the Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer HPV Task Force, SVMC encourages individuals of all genders to receive the HPV9 (nine-valent HPV) vaccine beginning at age 9. Your child’s age at the first dose will determine whether they need two or three doses. 

Know your risks

Even though the incidence of cervical cancer is on the decline, the risk is nowhere near zero.

In fact, in addition to HPV exposure, other factors can increase the risk of anyone with a cervix developing the disease. These include:

Smoking: Doubles the risk of developing cervical cancer.  

Being immunocompromised: Conditions like HIV/AIDS and even taking drugs to suppress immune response, can make it harder to fight off HPV infections.

Long-term Use of Birth Control Pills: Using oral contraceptives for 5 or more years increases the risk of cervical cancer.

Family History: If a parent or sibling had cervical cancer, your chances of developing the disease are higher than if no one in the family had it.

While not all risk factors, like family history, can be changed, it’s important to focus on changing those you can. And if you have a factor that can’t be changed, consider that all the more reason to stay current with screenings.

Rebecca Hewson-Steller, RN, CN-BN is an oncology nurse at the Dartmouth Health Cancer Center at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.