Eliminating cervical cancer in Australia by 2035

Background

There are predicted to be about 950 new diagnoses and 250 deaths from cervical cancer in Australia for 2019.  Since the introduction of the National Cervical Screening Program in 1991, cervical cancer mortality rates have halved.

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are responsible for virtually all cases of cervical cancer.  HPV are very common sexually transmitted viruses of which there are many types.

Australia transitioned to a five-yearly HPV cervical screening test for those aged 25-74 from 2017, replacing the old two-yearly Pap test previously offered from ages 18-69 years. The new test looks for the presence of HPV, the virus that causes almost all cervical cancers, and is expected to lower cervical cancer cases and mortality by at least 20%.  Under the new screening program, women should have their first screening test at age 25 and then every five years, if no high risk HPV is detected.

The research

This study has shown that if vaccination and screening coverage are maintained at their current rates, cervical cancer is likely to be eliminated as a public health issue in Australia by 2035.

The researchers expect that cervical cancer rates will drop to less than 6 in 100,000 by 2022 – meaning that it will soon be considered a rare cancer.  Rates will continue to drop further, dropping below 4 in 100,000 and the associated mortality will fall below 1 per 100,000 women by around 2035.  These findings indicate that Australia is on-track to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer by successfully implementing a combined approach to vaccination and screening.