ABSTRACT
World-wide, cervical cancer is the second most common female malignancy after breast cancer and far exceeds cancer of either the ovary or endometrium in incidence. However, the incidence of cervical malignancy varies widely from one country to another and between cultures and social classes within the same country. In many developing countries it is the most common cancer in females whilst in UK women it is the eleventh commonest with an incidence of only 0.9 per cent.1 In the west of Scotland, there was shown a clear association with socio-economic status with a threefold increased incidence in women from low socio-economic groups compared to more affluent women.2 In the USA, the incidence in black women is approximately twice that in white women.
