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Cervical Cancer Statistics

Related Information: Compare by Race and Ethnicity, Compare by State, HPV-Associated Cervical Cancer Statistics

Cervical cancer used to be the leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. However, in the past 40 years, the number of cases of cervical cancer and the number of deaths from cervical cancer have decreased significantly. This decline largely is the result of many women getting regular Pap tests, which can find cervical precancer before it turns into cancer.¹

According to the U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality report, 11,892 women in the U.S. were told that they had cervical cancer in 2004,* and 3,850 women died from the disease.² It is estimated that more than $2 billion^† is spent on the treatment of cervical cancer per year in the U.S.³

The number of women in the U.S. who develop or die from cervical cancer each year varies by state. Find more information about cervical cancer rates by state.

Statistical Trends

The rates for new cervical cancer cases (incidence) have decreased steadily across multiple racial and ethnic groups, as follows:⁴

• 3.7% decrease per year from 1996 to 2004 among all women.
• 2.4% decrease per year from 1990 to 2004 among white women.
• 3.7% decrease per year from 1975 to 2004 among African-American women.
• 5.9% decrease per year from 1995 to 2004 among Asian/Pacific Islander women.
• 3.6% decrease per year from 1995 to 2004 among Hispanic women.

In most racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., the rates for cervical cancer deaths (mortality) also have been decreasing as follows:⁴

• 3.7% decrease per year from 1996 to 2004 among all women.
• 3.4% decrease per year from 1996 to 2004 among white women.
• 4.7% decrease per year from 1993 to 2004 among African-American women.
• 4.5% decrease per year among Asian/Pacific Islander women.
• 3.3% decrease per year from 1995 to 2004 among Hispanic women.
• No change from 1995 to 2004 among American Indian/Alaska Native women.^‡

Even though these trends suggest that cervical cancer incidence and mortality continue to decrease significantly overall, and for women in some racial and ethnic populations, the rates are considerably higher among Hispanic and African-American women. Find more information about cervical cancer rates by race and ethnicity.

*The most recent year for which statistics are available.
^†The cost estimates were originally presented in 1996 U.S. dollars, which were updated to 2000 U.S. dollars using the Medical Care Component of the Consumer Price Index [MCPI].
^‡Any change in the rate recorded for this group was not statistically significant.

References

1. Cervical Cancer. NIH Consensus Statement. April 1–3 1996;14(1):1–38.
2. 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.
3. Brown ML, Lipscomb J, Snyder C. The burden of illness of cancer: economic cost and quality of life. Annual Review of Public Health 2001;22:91–113.
4. Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, Mariotto A, Miller BA, Feuer EJ, Clegg L, Horner MJ, Howlader N, Eisner MP, Reichman M, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2004, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, based on November 2006 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER Web site, 2007.