An overview of cervical cancer epidemiology and prevention in the Baltic States

Abstract

Aims To inform future Baltic States-specific policy analyses, we aimed to provide an overview of cervical cancer epidemiology and existing prevention efforts in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Methods A structured desk review: we compiled and summarized data on current prevention strategies, population demography and epidemiology (high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and cervical cancer incidence and mortality over time) for each Baltic State by reviewing published literature and official guidelines, performing registry-based analyses using secondary data and having discussions with experts in each country. Results We observed important similarities in the three Baltic States: high burden of the disease (high incidence and mortality of cervical cancer, changes in TNM (Classification of Malignant Tumors) stage distribution towards later stage at diagnosis), high burden of high-risk HPV in general population and suboptimal implementation of the preventive strategies as low screening and HPV vaccination coverage. Conclusions Cervical cancer remains a substantial health problem in the region and the efforts in addressing barriers by implementing a four-step plan for elimination cervical cancer in Europe should be made. This goal is achievable through evidence-based steps in four key areas: vaccination, screening, treatment, and public awareness.

Prevalence and epidemiological profile of cervical cancer patients attending Nyeri County and Referral Hospital, Kenya: a review of records 2017 – 2022.

“…The stage of cervical cancer was identi ed as a key predictor of survival outcome, p-value < .0001 in this study, signifying that patient who are diagnosed early were less likely to die compared to those who were diagnosed late when the disease has already metastases to other body organs. Similar nding have been reported in study done in Ethiopia(Seifu et al, 2022), Ghana(Dunyo et al, 2018;Nartey et al, 2017) as well as in Baltic countries(Kojalo et al, 2023), where patient who were diagnosed at early stages, lived for longer time than those diagnosed at late stages. Majority (67.5%) of patient in this study had no other comorbidity similar to a study done in KNH by Shajahan Ahamed & Degu (2023), where 65% of cervical cancer patient didn't have any other comorbidity.…”

“…For instance, the high incidence of cervical cancer in the Kenya has been highlighted to be associated with high numbers of HIV cases (Macharia et al, 2018), similar to other East Africa countries such as Tanzania (Olson et al, 2020) and Uganda (Obol et al, 2021). Apart from HPV infection, late diagnosis of the disease has been linked to high prevalence of cervical cancer (Dunyo et al, 2018;Kojalo et al, 2023).…”

“…A study in MTRH reported 50-59 years age group as representing the highest numbers in cervical cancer(Mwaliko et al, 2022). This age group has also been majorly affected in other studies done outside Africa such Baltic countries(Kojalo et al, 2023). Age was one of the factors that showed a signi cant association with survival outcome with those between 50-59 years dying more than the other age groups indicating that patients who are elderly are at higher risk of dying.…”

Epidemiology of cervical cancer in Iran in 2016: A nationwide study of incidence and regional variation

“…Healthcare services may be harder to get in certain areas, which might lead to insufficient or delayed treatment. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, poor nutrition, and a lack of exercise, may have been more prevalent in certain regions, increasing the risk of cervical cancer in older individuals 27,28 . Furthermore, the genetic and environmental factors specific to these provinces could increase the risk of cervical cancer in older age groups.…”

Cannabis sativa: Cervical cancer treatment- Role of phytocannabinoids-A story of concern

“…Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death among females worldwide [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]146].…”