Global patterns of cervical cancer incidence and mortality: updated statistics and an overview of temporal trends from 2003 to 2017

Global disparities exist in the burden of cervical cancer. This study aims to describe and analyze the global epidemiological landscape of cervical cancer in 2022, including recent trends in incidence. Data from GLOBOCAN 2022 database were used to analyze the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer across 185 countries and regions. We analyzed the age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) of cervical cancer across various geographical regions. The relationship between ASIR, ASMR, mortality to incidence ratio (MIR) and Human Development Index (HDI) was evaluated using the simple linear regression model. Additionally, cervical cancer incidence data from 36 countries between 2003 and 2017 were extracted from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) plus database, and the average annual percent change (AAPC) was calculated using Joinpoint software. In 2022, there were 622,301 cervical cancer cases worldwide, with an ASIR of 14.1 per 100,000. Geographically, the highest ASIR was observed in East Africa (40.4 per 100,000), and the lowest in Western Asia (4.2 per 100,000). Only 11 out of the 185 countries and regions reported an ASIR lower than the World Health Organization’s target as established by the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. There were 348,874 cervical cancer deaths worldwide in 2022, with an ASMR of 7.1 per 100,000. The highest ASMR was in East Africa, followed by Central Africa, and South Africa. There existed negative correlations between HDI and the ASIR, ASMR and MIR of cervical cancer. The disease burden was higher in regions with medium and low HDI compared to the global average, whereas it was lower in regions with very high HDI regions. Among the 36 countries with trend incidence data, seven exhibited significant increases in their ASIRs with AAPCs ranging from 0.9% to 5.9%, while 14 countries demonstrated significant decreases in their ASIRs with AAPCs ranging from −0.8% to −5.9%. Cervical cancer continues to represent a substantial global health burden. The disease burden is marked by clear socioeconomic disparities, underscoring the need to develop and evaluate targeted cervical cancer prevention and control strategies for specific regions.