The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed new information showing women in low-income areas of the U.S. face a stark rise in cervical cancer incidence and mortality.
The results, published in the International Journal of Cancer, demonstrate that the incidence rate for distant-stage cervical cancer has increased most among white women living in low-income counties. The largest increase in cervical cancer mortality rates occurred in Black women in low-income counties.
“Despite decades of improvement due to the widespread implementation of cervical cancer prevention programs in the U.S., our study shows women may be facing disruptions along the screening and treatment continuum that are leading to more distant-stage cancers and, potentially, more deaths,” said lead author Trisha Amboree, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in Behavioral Science.
The data was collected between 2000 and 2019, analyzing white, Black, and Hispanic women from counties where the average household income was between $19,330 to $38,820.
“The concerning trend that we found is an increase in distant-stage cancer, among non-Hispanic white women living in low-income counties and sort of an upward trend as well in Hispanic women,” Dr. Amboree said. “Then, when we looked further into mortality, we saw an upward trend in mortality among both non-Hispanic, white women and Black women.”
Risk factors for cervical cancer are:
- Having had HPV
- Smoking
- Having three or more full-term pregnancies
- Not getting pap smears
Recommendations for screening
Women 21-29 need a pap smear every three years
Women 30+ need a pap smear every three years and an HPV test every five years
Cervical cancer is preventable
Why the rise in cancer cases among low-income women?
Amboree said it’s possible barriers to healthcare are holding women back from getting preventative screenings.
“There’s transportation you know there’s ‘am I going to be able to take off work to go get the screening?’ there’s ‘who’s going to take care of my kids when I do that?’ You know I think there are many barriers that are in play that make things really challenging for people to get the preventative healthcare they need,” Amboree said.
HPV vaccine
The good news is, that there’s growing proof that people who were vaccinated with the HPV vaccine in their younger years are less frequently getting this kind of cancer, and access to that vaccine is more important now with this new information.
The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston also released findings about the HPV vaccine this week. UTMB said two doses offers similar protection as the three doses currently recommended.