A potentially deadly form of cancer affecting sexually active females is on the rise, alarming health-care professionals who are trying to raise public awareness of the need for screening in advance of International Women's Day on March 8.
The incidence of cervical cancer has doubled in China since 2000, rising from four women in every 100,000 to eight, specialists said yesterday at an event held to introduce new screening technology at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University.
The higher incidence of cervical cancer, which is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease, has been attributed to women having intercourse earlier and having more partners. "China is one of the nations with the largest number of cervical cancer patients detected every year, but public awareness of the need for regular screening is still low," said Dr Sui Long. "Cervical cancer is preventable, as its cause is just human papillomavirus, or HPV. However, we have found that over 70 percent of patients never undergo regular cervical screening."
