India records highest number of cervical cancer cases in Asia: Study

There were around 6,04,127 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,41,831 deaths occurred in 2020 globally. Of these, India reported around 21% of the total cervical cases, as per the data. 

The study is based on The Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2020 estimates, including geographical and socioeconomic development, and temporal aspects. 

“More than 58% of all cases of cervical cancer globally were estimated in Asia followed by Africa (20%), Europe (10%) and Latin America (10%) and more than half of deaths were estimated in Asia (58%) followed by Africa (22%), and Latin America (9%). Around 39% of all cases occurred in China (18%) and India (21%) and 40% of total deaths from cervical cancer (17% in China; 23% in India),” the study noted. 

It further stated that the age-standardized incidence of cervical cancer in 2020 was higher than the threshold set by WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative in 173 of 185 countries. 

The study also said that a clear and strong socioeconomic gradient was observed between cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates and the mean national HDI values, with progressively lower rates observed as HDI increased.

However, the steep decrease in incidence observed in some countries, such as India, Thailand, Brazil, and Poland, could be attributed to multiple factors, including declines in fertility rates and lower parity, which are declining across successive generations of women, or improvement in the coverage of screening programs and access to treatment services especially in the urban population of the registry catchment areas, the study added. 

It is to be noted that, all over the world, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, with an estimated 6,04,000 new cases and 3,42,000 deaths in 2020, of which the Region accounted for 32% and 34%, respectively.

Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) had said that India is soon going to receive human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, news agency ANI reported.

So far, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand have introduced nationwide HPV vaccination to treat cervical cancer.

Meanwhile, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) chief Dr NK Arora also said that cervical cancer is manageable if the disease is diagnosed early.

He added that screening to detect cervical cancer is important after the age of 35 and it needs to be taken as a mission as “India has the largest burden of deaths due to cervical cancer.”

(With inputs from agencies)