Burden of cervical cancer in the United States, 1998-2003.
BACKGROUND
Recent interest in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers and the availability of several years of data covering 83% of the US population prompted this descriptive assessment of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the US during the years 1998 through 2003. This article provides a baseline for monitoring the impact of the HPV vaccine on the burden of cervical cancer over time.


METHODS
Data from 2 federal cancer surveillance programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Program of Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institiute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, were used to examine cervical cancer incidence by race, Hispanic ethnicity, histology, stage, and US census region. Data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics were used to examine cervical cancer mortality by race, Hispanic ethnicity, and US census region.


RESULTS
The incidence rate of invasive cervical cancer was 8.9 per 100,000 women during 1998 through 2003. Greater than 70% of all cervical carcinomas were squamous cell type, and nearly 20% were adenocarcinomas. Cervical carcinoma incidence rates were increased for black women compared with white women and for Hispanic women compared with non-Hispanic women. Hispanic women had increased rates of adenocarcinomas compared with non-Hispanic women. The South had increased incidence and mortality rates compared with the Northeast.


CONCLUSIONS
Disparities by race/ethnicity and region persist in the burden of cervical cancer in the US. Comprehensive screening and vaccination programs, as well as improved surveillance, will be essential if this burden is to be reduced in the future.
Watson
Meg
M
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. mwatson2@cdc.gov
Saraiya
Mona
M
Benard
Vicki
V
Coughlin
Steven S
SS
Flowers
Lisa
L
Cokkinides
Vilma
V
Schwenn
Molly
M
Huang
Youjie
Y
Giuliano
Anna
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006078:Government Programs; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data