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Australia helping lead the charge to eliminate cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. In Australia, around 800 women are diagnosed annually.

The World Health Organization has put a strategy in place to help eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem globally. Australia is at the forefront of this fight and has one of the lowest rates of the disease in the world.

In this month’s blog, we take a closer look at cervical cancer and how Australia is helping lead the charge to eliminate the disease.

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow in the lining of the cervix.

The cervix forms part of the female reproductive system and functions to help produce moisture to lubricate the vagina and mucus to help sperm travel to the fallopian tube. It also serves to hold a developing baby in the uterus during pregnancy. During childbirth, it widens to allow the baby to pass down into the birth canal.

There are two types of cervical cancer, which are named after the type of cells that they originate from:

  • Squamous cell carcinoma – the most common type of cervical cancer, accounting for up to 90% of all cases.
  • Adenocarcinoma – less common and originating from the glandular cells. It generally starts higher in the cervix, making it more difficult to detect.

The good news is that cervical cancer can be cured if it is diagnosed early and treated straight away.

Symptoms

Precancerous changes in cervical cells rarely cause symptoms. However, once these cell changes develop into cervical cancer, common early symptoms will include:

  • unexpected vaginal bleeding – such as between periods, after menopause, or after sex
  • heavier and longer periods than normal
  • unusual vaginal discharge
  • pain in the pelvis region
  • pain during sex

Once cervical cancer becomes more advanced, people may also experience fatigue, leg pain or swelling, and lower back pain.

Risk Factors

Most cases of cervical cancer occur after an infection of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is very common and affects both males and females, with 4 out of 5 people experiencing the virus at some stage in their lives. It is usually passed on during sexual contact.

Most people who get HPV will have no symptoms or implications form the virus. However, for others, it can cause changes in the cervix over time and lead to cancer.

Other risk factors for cervical cancer include:

  • smoking and passive smoking
  • a weakened immune system
  • if your mother was prescribed diethylstilbestrol (DES) – an artificial form of the female hormone oestrogen often given during pregnancy between 1939 and 1971.

Treatment for cervical cancer will depend on the stage at which the disease is at and may include surgery, a cone biopsy, hysterectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or palliative care.

Australia’s approach to eliminating cervical cancer

Australia has one of the lowest rates of the disease in the world, thanks to proactive health strategies aimed at eliminating the disease.

In 1991, Australia first introduced its National Cervical Screening Program, which offered a free pap smear test every two years to women aged 18 to 70. In 2017, the pap smear test was replaced with the new Cervical Screening Test. Now women aged 25-74 are tested every five years for the presence of HPV, which is the main cause of cervical cancer.

Since 2022, cervical screening participants have been given the option to screen using either a self-collected vaginal sample or a clinician-collected sample. Both of these options are accessed through a healthcare provider.

In conjunction with the Cervical Screening Program, the Australian Government also introduced the free National HPV Vaccination Program in 2007 for girls, in a bid to reduce HPV-related cancers in Australia.

From 2013, boys were included in the program to reduce rates of penile and anal cancers in men, which can also result from persistent HPV infection.

Almost all Australian schools currently participate in the program, which sees the HPV Gardasil®9 vaccine offered to girls and boys in Year 8 through the National Immunisation Program. The vaccine is targeted specifically to this age group, as it has proved to be most effective before people become sexually active.

Australia’s approach to eliminating cervical cancer is having a positive impact, with a recent report from Australia’s NHMRC-funded Centre of Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control highlighting that 75% of eligible women are up-to-date with cervical screening and have had a HPV test within five years. This means that Australia is well on its way to meeting the World Health Organization’s 2030 target for cervical screening of 70% of women screened a minimum of twice in a lifetime by 2030.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare notes that cervical cancer incidence rates have also noticeably decreased since the introduction of the vaccine program. Incidence rates have fallen from 9.3 cases per 100,000 females in 2013 to an estimated 0.5 in 2025. In addition, age-standardised mortality rates for cervical cancer decreased from 3.2 deaths per 100,000 females in 2000 to an estimated 1.8 deaths in 2025.

This vaccination program, combined with the National Cancer Screening Program, is significantly helping to reduce the risk of cervical cancer across Australia.

It’s important to remember, however, that you still need to undertake regular cervical screenings to protect yourself against cervical cancer, even if you have had the HPV vaccine.

At Illawarra Medical Centre, we are able to offer our patients both cervical screenings and immunisation for all vaccinations that form part of the National Immunisation Program Schedule, including the HPV vaccine.

To make an appointment with us, simply book online or contact us on (08) 9208 6400.

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