ABSTRACT
This chapter explores opportunities for reducing racial/ethnic (R/E) disparities in uterine cervix carcinoma morbidity and mortality. It focuses on the burden of the disease utilization of services and on interventions to reduce disparities in screening, and treatment. Invasive cervical cancer remains substantially higher among R/E minority elders largely due to ineffective screening. Although the role of treatment in improving survival is limited at advanced stages of cervical cancer, elder women in underserved R/E groups could further benefit from better treatment of the regional disease. In contrast to mortality, the trend in cervical cancer survival is disappointing. As for breast cancer, cervical cancer five-year survival declines with increasing stage for both white and non-white older women but stage specific racial differences in survival are also common. There is no effective primary prevention for cervical cancer. Two possible primary intervention methods are immuno-prevention against Human Papilloma Virus and modification of sexual behavior.
