For Your Health: Prevention, screening for cervical cancer

Early detection of cancer through screening programs is a key factor to decrease the number of deaths and complications due to cancer illnesses. Effective screening for cervical cancer leads to early diagnosis, which improves treatment options and successes. The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb) which functions as a canal, opening to the vagina.

Cervical cancer is the fourth-most-common cancer for women in the U.S. and is the second most common cancer in developing countries. Death rates from cervical cancer vary by regions and is directly related to access for screening and treatment programs. Infection with the human papilloma virus, or HPV, is a common finding in women with cervical cancer.