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Control and Prevention
Division of Cancer
Prevention and Control
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Cervical Cancer

Diagram of the female genital tract depicting fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, cervix, vagina, and vulva.
Free or Low-Cost Pap Test
To find out if you qualify, call your local program.

Take Time to Save Your Life
Learn how Pap tests are performed and when you should be tested on this CDC podcast.

Support and Resources
Other resources related to gynecologic cancers are available.

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. Cancer is always named for the part of the body where it starts, even if it spreads to other body parts later. When cancer starts in the cervix, it is called cervical cancer. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus. Also known as the womb, the uterus is where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. The cervix connects the upper part of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal).

Cervical cancer is highly preventable in most Western countries because screening tests and a vaccine to prevent HPV infections are available. When cervical cancer is found early, it is highly treatable and associated with long survival and good quality of life.

Learn more by reading Cervical Cancer Basic Information, downloading the Inside Knowledge campaign's cervical cancer fact sheet, (PDF-853KB) or listening to the cervical cancer podcast.

Who Gets Cervical Cancer?

All women are at risk for cervical cancer. It occurs most often in women aged 30 years and older. In 2004,* 11,892 women in the United States were told they had cervical cancer, and 3,850 died from the disease. For more information, read HPV-Associated Cervical Cancer Statistics.

It is important to get tested for cervical cancer because 6 of 10 cervical cancers occur in women who have never received a Pap test or have not been tested in the past five years.

The human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that can be passed from one person to another during sex, is the main cause of cervical cancer and also causes many vaginal and vulvar cancers. At least half of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives. Keep in mind, many people will have an HPV infection at some time in their lives, but few women will get cervical cancer.

U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2007.
*The most recent year for which statistics are currently available.

PDF Icon Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.


Page last reviewed: December 22, 2008
Page last updated: December 22, 2008
Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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