Cervical Cancer Awareness

September is Cervical Cancer Awareness month in South Africa. GCRC participated in a Cervical Cancer awareness workshop on the 23rd September 2022 hosted by nursing staff at Groote Schuur Hospital.  Dr Tracey Adams gave a presentation on causes, symptoms and treatment of cervical cancer.  

•Globally Cervical Cancer 4th most common cancer in women, breast being the most common, although cervical cancer is the most common cancer in 23 countries and leading cause of cancer death in 36 countries

•Majority of cervix cancer deaths occur in SSA, Melanesia, South America and SE Asia

•Globocan 2020 estimated 604 000 new cases of cervical cancer with 342 000 deaths globally

    One woman dies from cervical cancer every 2 minutes!

In South Africa:

• Globocan 2020 estimated that for South Africa, there were 10 702 new cases of cervical cancer compared to 15 491 new cases of breast cancer in a population of just over 30 million women, of whom 8.8 million are women aged 30 – 49*

•However, more women died from Cervical Cancer (n= 5870) compared to women with Breast cancer (n= 4664) in 2020

•Some provinces cervical cancer is the No.1 cancer in women ( Eastern Cape)

  [Stats in brief: Stats SA, 2020]