Addressing the cervical cancer disparity could save thousands of lives

In the United States, cancer continues to second most Heart disease was the only cause of death. In 2023, American Cancer Society estimates There will be nearly 2 million new cancer cases and over 600,000 deaths.

One cancer we have to talk about because of its disproportionate impact on women of color, especially during Black History Month in February, is: cervical cancer.

According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is 4th most Cancer forms in women worldwide. In this country American Cancer Society estimates About 13,960 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed this year alone, and 4,310 people are expected to die from the disease. These numbers should shock you. This means that not only is it almost entirely preventable through vaccination and screening, but it is treatable and curable if detected early, with a mortality rate of nearly 31%.

In short, these thousands of deaths are completely unnecessary.

and WHO Dying is important. Highest proportion of Hispanic women Black women have far more of the new cervical cancer cases highest mortality Of any racial or ethnic group, according to the American Cancer Statistics Working Group.

This issue highlights two important points. One, HPV vaccine education is absolutely essential, and two, as a nation, we must address the disparities in our healthcare system that worsen outcomes for black women and other women of color. . Otherwise, more women will die.

First, let’s address the issue of vaccine education. The lack of accurate information means that some people cannot get the vaccines they need. For cervical cancer, this is her vaccine against HPV, the virus that almost always causes it.

Patients are eligible to receive the vaccine as young as 9 to 45 years old. However, in 2020, only about 58% of adolescents aged 13 to her 17 had received the full course of vaccinations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is despite the fact that if someone received all recommended vaccinations before they became sexually active (the CDC recommended age is 11 or 12), they would not be able to get HPV-related genital warts and cancer. Despite the fact that the risk can be reduced. 99%according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. vaccines for children A program can help. The HPV vaccine has also been used by him for over 15 years and has been proven to be safe.

The American Cancer Society recently report Based on data from women aged 20 to 24 who first received the HPV vaccine, the incidence of cervical cancer in the United States decreased by 65% ​​between 2012 and 2019. Despite the HPV vaccine’s demonstrated success, vaccination coverage remains below national targets and has only worsened during the pandemic.

In light of these facts, all eligible Americans — men and women (yes, men have HPV-related cancers, too) — should be vaccinated against HPV.

Moreover, screening is an important method for early detection of precancerous cells that respond well to therapy.cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of death For American women. But since doctors began using her PAP test routinely, significantly reduced mortalityHPV testing has also become an important screening tool because it can detect infection with forms of HPV that have a high risk of leading to cancer. can be prevented.

Therefore, the fact that everyone is the first to get cervical cancer and the second to die shows that certain people are not getting the care they need and that inequalities are entrenched in the health care system. increase.

because as one A Mayo Clinic doctor explained, there are no inherent genetic differences that predispose women of color to the disease. Rather, the country’s long history of racism creates disparities that “permeate the health care system and impact these women’s access to resources, and thus affect some of the health care they need.” And this has inherently bad consequences.” Human Rights Watch I echoed that sentiment when describing a 2022 report showing high mortality from cervical cancer among women in rural Georgia.

Barriers to care that may particularly affect women of color include transportation costs and expenses. Getting to an appointment can be difficult, especially if there is no car or reliable public transportation nearby, or if the patient lives in a rural area far from the service. up may influence stage at diagnosis and overall cervical cancer incidence. Yet many women, especially in rural areas, Barriers to optimal prevention, early detection and treatment of cervical cancerAlso, cancer treatments can be expensive. The annual medical cost of cervical cancer in 2020 was $2.3 billion. According to the CDCThe cost per patient ran into the tens of thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars. For those who do not have insurance or do not have adequate insurance, such costs are insurmountable.

Barriers also include lack of knowledge about cervical cancer, its symptoms, ways to prevent it, and lack of trust in health care providers. This is due to decades of abuse by the system, most notorious Syphilis research in Tuskegee, when black men afflicted with the disease were not provided with available treatment. All of this contributes to women of color being less likely to receive life-saving preventive care. As a result, they are often diagnosed with late-stage cervical cancer, which is more aggressive and difficult to treat.

Of course you can do better. And we must.Ending cervical cancer in this country it is possibleWe just need relatively simple interventions such as better, more uniform and equitable education. all patients, on the importance of the HPV vaccine and regular PAP and HPV screening regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Doing so will go a long way toward improving some of the ways racism has worsened healthcare for women of color in this country. It will also be Of course, that’s all.

Martha Nolan is Senior Policy Advisor for HealthyWomen. HealthyWomen works to educate women between the ages of 35 and her 64 to make informed health choices.