Diagnosis and management of cervical cancer

doi:10.1136/bmj.39337.615197.80

BMJ 2007;335:765-768 (13 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39337.615197.80

Clinical Review

Diagnosis and management of cervical cancer

Patrick Petignat, consultant gynaecological oncologist¹, Michel Roy, professor and gynaecological oncologist²

¹ Senology and Gynaecological Oncology Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland, ² Gynaecologic Oncology Service, CHUQ, Laval University, Quebec, Canada

Correspondence to: P Petignat patrick.petignat@hcuge.ch

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide,with more than half a million new cases diagnosed in 2005.¹The disease disproportionately affects the poorest regions—morethan 80% of cases are found in developing nations, mainly inLatin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.¹Cervical cancer is an important cause of early loss of lifeas it affects relatively young women. Important advances havetaken place in the diagnosis and treatment of this cancer inrecent years. Surgery or chemoradiotherapy can cure 80-95% ofwomen with early stage disease (stages I and II) and 60% withstage III disease (table).² ³ ⁴ ⁵