Trends in cervical cancer incidence in sub-Saharan Africa

Menée à partir de données de 10 registres portant sur 21 990 patientes atteintes d’un cancer du col de l’utérus, cette étude analyse les facteurs associés à l’évolution de l’incidence de la maladie dans des pays d’Afrique sub-saharienne (Gambie, Kenya, Malawi, Maurice, Seychelles, Afrique du Sud, Ouganda, Zimbabwe) sur une période de 10 à 25 ans

Résumé en anglais

Background : Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods : Trends in the incidence of cervical cancer are examined for a period of 10–25 years in 10 population-based cancer registries across eight SSA countries (Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe). A total of 21,990 cases of cervical cancer were included in the analyses. Results : Incidence rates had increased in all registries for some or all of the periods studied, except for Mauritius with a constant annual 2.5% decline. Eastern Cape and Blantyre (Malawi) registries showed significant increases over time, with the most rapid being in Blantyre (7.9% annually). In Kampala (Uganda), a significant increase was noted (2.2%) until 2006, followed by a non-significant decline. In Eldoret, a decrease (1998–2002) was followed by a significant increase (9.5%) from 2002 to 2016. Conclusion : Overall, cervical cancer incidence has been increasing in SSA. The current high-level advocacy to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in SSA needs to be translated into support for prevention (vaccination against human papillomavirus and population-wide screening), with careful monitoring of results through population-based registries.