Cervical Cancer Risk Persists in Women Aged 65 and Over

Routine cervical screening should be offered to women aged 65 and over, as they are still at heightened risk of cancer from human papillomavirus (HPV), according to research. The World Health Organization reported that there were about 660,000 cases of cervical cancer and 350,000 deaths from it worldwide in 2022. A study published in Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinical Medicine analyzed data from over 2 million women and found that those aged 65 and over had a higher prevalence of high-risk HPV infections and abnormal cells than younger women. This suggests that older women are more likely to have HPV infections and abnormal cells, even if they have been vaccinated.

Key Takeaways:

• 157,182 new cases of cervical cancer were reported worldwide among women aged 65 or older in 2022, and 124,269 deaths from the disease were attributed to this age group.
• The World Health Organization's global strategy aims to vaccinate 90% of girls with the HPV vaccine by 15, screen 70% of women, and treat 90% of those with cervical disease by 2030, which could prevent 62m deaths and 74m new cases of cervical cancer by 2120.
• The National Screening Committee in the UK recommends stopping cervical screening after the age of 65 if previous test results have been normal, but this recommendation should be re-evaluated in light of the new research.
• The study found that 14% of women aged 65 and over tested positive for high-risk HPV infection types, compared to 8% of younger women.
• Older women were more likely to be infected with several different types of HPV and have abnormalities picked up on screening.
• The findings indicate that "women [aged 65 and above] are a high-risk group for cervical cancer incidence and mortality, necessitating urgent attention from countries worldwide," according to the study's authors.
• Responding to the findings, Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal cancer charity, said that there is a largely unvaccinated population over 65 who may still be at high risk of cervical cancer if under-screened or if they have never attended screening.

Statistics:

• 660,000 cases of cervical cancer and 350,000 deaths from it were reported worldwide in 2022.
• 157,182 new cases of cervical cancer were reported worldwide among women aged 65 or older in 2022, and 124,269 deaths from the disease were attributed to this age group.
• 14% of women aged 65 and over tested positive for high-risk HPV infection types, compared to 8% of younger women.
• The study analyzed data from over 2 million women, with 17,420 of them aged 65 and over.

Sources:

• The World Health Organization (WHO)
• Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinical Medicine
• Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal cancer charity
• Maxine Lenza, health information manager at Cancer Research UK
• NHS spokesperson
• Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson