If you have any health concerns you should refer these to your doctor. The information contained on these pages has been compiled to offer general background information. Further information is also available on websites available through our Useful Links page.
About Cervical Cancer
The cervix is another name for the neck of the womb and is part of a woman’s reproductive system. About 2,700 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK each year, with 500,000 women diagnosed worldwide.
There are two types of cervical cancer: squamous cell cancer, which affects the flat skin-like cells that cover the outer surface of the cervix, and adenocarcinoma, which affects the gland cells that produce mucus. These cells are scattered along the inside of the passageway that runs from the cervix to the womb.
Cervical cancers start from cells with pre-cancerous changes (pre-cancer). Some women with pre-cancer of the cervix will develop cancer. The change from pre-cancer to cancer usually takes several years - but it can happen sooner. For most women, pre-cancerous cells will go away without any treatment. However, physicians have no way of differentiating between pre-cancer that will develop to cancer and those that will resolve.
Overall, two out of every 100 cancers diagnosed in women are cervical cancers. But it is the second most common cancer in women under 35.
The table below shows the World Health Organisation’s estimates of annual incidences of cervical cancer worldwide:
| Europe | Africa | America | Asia | Oceania |
| 59000 | 78000 | 86000 | 265000 | 2000 |
Source: IARC, Globocan 2002 | WHO GBD 2002 (for WHO regions estimates)
Causes of Cervical Cancer
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is found in about 99% of cervical cancers. There are over 100 different types of HPV of which about 30 are associated with genital disease. Of these, the majority are considered low-risk and do not cause cervical cancer. There are 13 high-risk HPV types that do cause cervical cell abnormalities or cancer, two of these, HPV-16 and HPV-18, are responsible for about 70% of all cases.