The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) was formed in 1997, and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to service women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV disease.

Some facts about cervical cancer can be seen below. Cervical cancer screening saves lives, yet:

• 11% of U.S. women report that they do not have regular cervical cancer screenings.
• In the U.S., about 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer disease each year, and more than 3,900 women die in the USA each year from this disease.
• Women in developing countries account for about 85% of both the yearly cases of cervical cancer and the yearly deaths from cervical cancer.
• In the majority of developing countries, cervical cancer remains the number one cause of cancer-related deaths among women.
• A woman who does not have cervical cancer screening on a regular basis significantly increases her chances of developing cervical cancer.
• High-Risk HPV Types are directly related to cervical cancer, yet many women are unaware of what HPV is or the relationship it has to cervical cancer disease.
• Cervical cancer follow-up programs are very important. The Pap smear is a screening test. A single pap is not a diagnostic test. It is the ongoing repetition of routine cervical cancer screenings that help to increase the accuracy of the Pap smear results. The data captured in a Pap exam can be turned into information that can provide knowledge to improve patient outcomes and enhance our ability to better manage patients through population-based risk management assessment.

For information about cervical cancer or the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, go to http://www.nccc-online.org/

Sources:  National Cervical Cancer Coalition; Wellness News You Can Use, National Wellness Institute (January 2007)