Cervical Care and Early Cancer Detection for African-American Women

As with breast cancer, African-American women are more likely to die of cervical cancer than are women in other groups. This could be because the cancers are often found at a later stage. African-American women tend to not get pap tests that screen for cervical cancer.

In addition, cervical cancer continues to be a more serious threat to women with low incomes and educational levels than to women in other groups, according to a 2004 study reported by the American Cancer Society.

Women living in areas of high poverty are 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cervical disease than women in areas with low poverty levels, the study found. Also, survival rates of patients with late-stage disease were also found to be substantially lower—31 percent lower—if they live in areas with high poverty levels, than those in areas with low poverty levels.

These patterns remain constant, to varying degrees, whether the women are African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or non-Hispanic white.

Other important facts about cervical cancer include:

• About 10,370 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2005. About 3,710 of these women will die from this disease.
• Some researchers think that noninvasive cervical cancer is about four times as common as the invasive type.
• Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women.

The good news is that when found and treated early, cervical cancer often can be cured. Since 1995, the number of deaths from cervical cancer has declined significantly. The main reason for this decrease is the use of pap tests to find cervical cancer early.

Next: Risk Factors that Increase Your Chance of Getting Cervical Cancer