Centre for Chronic Prevention and Control
Cervical Cancer

Facts & Figures

Morbidity and Mortality

The mortality and morbidity rates have fallen significantly since screening began in Canada. More specifically, over the past three decades in Canada, there has been an overall reduction in the age-standardized mortality rates from invasive cervical cancer from 7.4 per 100,000 females in 1969 to 2.4 per 100,000 females in 1992 and a reduction in incidence rates from 21.6 per 100,000 in 1969 to 10.4 per 100,000 in 1990; however, since the mid-70s the rate of decline in incidence rates has slowed, particularly among women under 50 (Laboratory Centre for Disease Control; unpublished data). Cervical Cancer Screening. Are the 1989 Recommendations Still Valid? 1996, CMAJ 154(12)

However, in British Columbia, as mortality and incidence rates have decreased since the introduction of an organized program in 1949, there has been an increase in the number of cases of in-situ carcinomas from 12.3 per 100,000 in 1955 to 133.6 per 100,000 in 1985 (Anderson, 1988). Organization and Results of the Cervical Cytology Screening Program in British Columbia. BMJ 296 : 975-978 (1988)

Screening Practices

In the Health Promotion Surveys, women were asked whether they had ever had a Pap smear and if yes, when was the last time they had one (less than 12 months ago, 1 to 2 years ago, more than 2 years ago and don't know). The results for those who said they were never screened are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Changes in Pap smear practices, 1985 - 1990

Stephens T., Fowler Graham D. Adapted from Canada's Health Promotion Survey 1990. Technical Report. P-179

The current approach to cervical screening has resulted in an increasing proportion of all women reporting that they have never been screened. It is still the older woman who is more likely never to have been screened, although there is also an increasing number of younger women not being screened. The increasing incidence of invasive cervical cancer in recent cohorts also reflects sub-optimal effectiveness of current practices.