Roughly 14,500 women in the U.S. were newly diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2021, and about 4,300 U.S. women died from it last year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
While vaccinations and appropriate screenings such as pap and HPV tests have dramatically dropped the number of cases, cervical cancer remains the fourth-most-common cancer among women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
“So we cannot be complacent, because when not caught in time, the disease remains every bit the deadly threat it’s always been,” said Dr. Jennifer Chambers, chief medical officer at Capital Blue Cross.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, an opportune time to reflect on how perilous the disease remains, particularly for working-age women.
Statistics continue to suggest recent slippage in the cervical cancer fight, partly due to missed cervical screenings during the pandemic. The ACS projections for 2021 are trending in a troubling direction: nearly 500 more people diagnosed in 2021 than in 2020; nearly 1,700 more people diagnosed than in 2017; and nearly 100 more expected deaths vs. 2017. Also, despite steady improvement in survival rates, more than a third of Pennsylvania women diagnosed with cervical cancer will still die within five years, according to state Department of Health data.
Working Women at Risk
Cervical cancer primarily strikes women in the prime of their working lives. According to the ACS, the disease is most frequently diagnosed in women age 35 to 44. In Pennsylvania, the state Department of Health reports, the median age of incidence is 52.
It’s a costly disease, too. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts America’s annual cervical cancer bill at $1.6 billion, and says annual productivity losses – due to missed work and employment disability – are $1,000 more for cancer survivors in general.
Employers can help improve these bleak statistics by encouraging preventive care. Capital Blue Cross helps the companies it covers do just that. The health insurer:
- Reminds its members who have no cervical cancer screening records about the importance of having routine screenings.
- Provides education, through member and employer-group newsletters, on screening’s importance and other preventive measures, including HPV vaccinations.
- Shares with its medical providers best practices for increasing screening rates and offers some providers incentives for good performance in this area.
- Shares screening information on social media.
- Provides employer toolkits that include self-service guidance, step-by-step instructions and suggestions for promoting screening among employees, as well as the ability to provide presentations and post exhibits.
“Emphasizing the importance of cervical cancer screenings is an enormously effective first step,” Dr. Chambers said. “It’s important to take that step decisively.”
