Cancer Deaths - Cervical Cancer

Why Is This Important?

The National Cancer Institute states that, based on solid evidence, regular screening of appropriate women for cervical cancer reduces mortality from cervical cancer by at least 80 percent. This is because of all cancers, cervical cancer is one of the most amenable to prevention and early detection through screening. Regular screening with Pap tests and/or human papillomavirus (HPV) tests, as appropriate, can detect pre-cancers caused by HPV, which, when treated, can stop cervical cancer before it develops. Cervical cancer screening can also lead to earlier diagnosis of cervical cancer that may result in more effective treatment.

Definition

Cervical Cancer Deaths per 100,000 population (females) in New Mexico Cervical cancer mortality is defined as neoplasm, malignant, of cervix uteri (ICD10: C53).

Data Sources

• New Mexico Death Data: Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health.
  (https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/bvrhs/vrp/)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC WONDER Online Database
  (http://wonder.cdc.gov)

How the Measure is Calculated

How Are We Doing?

The overall New Mexico cervical cancer mortality rate of 2.2 deaths per 100,000 females over the most recent 5-year period (2013-2017) is the same as the Healthy People 2020 goal of 2.2.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The overall New Mexico cervical cancer mortality rate of 2.2 deaths per 100,000 females is very similar to the United States rate of 2.3, both of which have declined over the past two decades.

What Is Being Done?

The New Mexico Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NMBCCP) is dedicated to improving access to high-quality, age-appropriate cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for low-income women and transgender men who have a cervix and who are uninsured or under-insured. The NMBCCP also helps program participants access resources for treatment when necessary. To do this, the NMBCCP supports changes within provider practices and health systems to increase screening opportunities. In addition, data and surveillance systems, such as monitoring screening quality measures, are used to develop more organized, systematic approaches to cancer screening and to improve service delivery. These approaches are supported by the New Mexico Department of Health and are being implemented by many healthcare organizations and health systems throughout New Mexico. Visit the NMBCCP website at: http://archive.cancernm.org/bcc/index.html

Evidence-based Practices

The NMBCCP supports New Mexico health care providers and health systems in using evidence-based interventions such as patient reminders, risk assessment tools, reducing structural barriers (e.g., expanding clinic hours), provider reminder and recall systems, and provider assessment and feedback on performance. All of these activities have been shown to increase cervical cancer screening rates, and are recommended by The Guide to Community Preventive Services, a collection of evidence-based findings of the Community Preventive Services Task Force, established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Other Objectives

Other relevant HP2020 objectives: C-15: Increase the proportion of women who receive a cervical cancer screening based on the most recent guidelines

Available Services

The NMBCCP provides free cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to New Mexico women and transgender men with a cervix who are ages 21 years and older, lack health insurance, and live at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. More information can be found online at http://archive.cancernm.org/bcc/index.html or by calling toll-free 1-877-852-2585.

More Resources

New Mexico Department of Health Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection (BCC) Program (http://archive.cancernm.org/bcc/index.html) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/risk_factors.htm) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC WONDER Online Database (http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html) U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Cervical Cancer Screening website (https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/UpdateSummaryFinal/cervical-cancer-screening2) The Community Guide to Preventive Services https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/cancer-screening-(multicomponent-interventions-cervical-cancer) The National Cancer Institute (https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/hp/cervical-screening-pdq)

Health Program Information

The NMBCCP endorses the cervical cancer screening recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In 2018, the USPSTF recommendation for screening for cervical cancer states that screening should occur every 3 years with cervical cytology alone (e.g., a Pap test) in women aged 21 to 29 years. For women aged 30 to 65 years, the USPSTF recommends screening every 3 years with cervical cytology alone, every 5 years with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing alone, or every 5 years with hrHPV testing in combination with cytology (cotesting). The USPSTF recommendation applies to all women who have a cervix, regardless of sexual history. It does not apply, however, to women who have received a diagnosis of a high-grade precancerous cervical lesion or cervical cancer, women with in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol, or women who are immuno-compromised (such as those who are HIV positive). The USPSTF notes that screening with Pap tests or HPV testing can also sometimes lead to harms, mainly false positive screening results requiring additional diagnostic testing. Adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with treatment of screening-detected disease can also occur, although changes to screening guidelines for young women in recent years have been enacted to minimize this.