Cervical cancer has caused 1,117 deaths in France in 2018 and 2,920 new cases have been diagnosed, according to the latest official figures released Tuesday by health authorities, who advocate for better vaccination and more screening. Mortality and the number of new cases "have been steadily decreasing since 1990", according to the results published in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin (BEH) of the Public Health Agency France.
>> READ ALSO: Papillomavirus: a new vaccine available
In 1990, the number of new cases per year was close to 4,000 and the death rate was 3.1 per 100,000, compared with 1.7 per 100,000 last year. Compared to the national average, the number of new cases is particularly high "on the Mediterranean rim (Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Gard, Hérault) and Côte-d'Or", according to a study published in the BEH.
Worldwide, cervical cancer has caused 311,000 deaths
Cervical cancer can be caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a very common sexually transmitted infection. "A better coverage of HPV vaccination, so far very poor (less than 25%), combined with an organized screening program based on the HPV test is essential for the elimination of cervical cancer" , stresses the BEH.
Worldwide, cervical cancer has caused 311,000 deaths in 2018, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, and 570,000 new cases have been discovered, making it the fourth most common cancer in women , according to the WHO.
In France, the HPV vaccine is recommended for all girls between the ages of 11 and 14 (with possible catch-up between the ages of 15 and 19), as well as for men under the age of 26 who have sex with men.