European guidelines for quality assurance in cervical cancer screening. 2nd ed.

Summary:

Cancer is common in older people but cancer of the uterine cervix primarily affects younger women, with the majority of cases appearing between the ages of 35 and 50, when many women are actively involved in their careers or caring for their families. In the European Union (EU) 34 000 new cases and over 16 000 deaths due to cervical cancer are reported annually.

The burden of cervical cancer is particularly high in the new member states. The highest annual world-standardised mortality rates are currently reported in Romania and Lithuania (13.7 and 10.0/100 000, respectively) and the lowest rates in Finland (1.1/100 000). Governmental authorities, parliamentary representatives and advocates should be aware that the substantially higher dimension of this public health problem in the east of the EU requires special attention.