The key facts
- Oncologist Yevgeny Cheryomushkin linked the rise in mortality to social and economic conditions
- Developing countries that depend on external funding for vaccination and diagnostics are especially vulnerable
- Researchers forecast an increase in annual deaths from 369 thousand in 2023 to 514 thousand by 2050
Social causes of the rise in mortality
Insufficient attention to prevention and reduced availability of screenings could increase the number of deaths from cervical cancer. This assessment was given by oncologist Yevgeny Cheryomushkin in an interview with Vechernyaya Moskva, as reported by Life.ru. In his view, the problem increasingly depends on social and economic conditions: due to stress and lack of time, women postpone visits to the doctor.
Who is most vulnerable
The doctor singled out a particularly vulnerable group — developing countries, where vaccination and diagnostic programs depend on external funding. A reduction in such support limits the possibilities of prevention and early detection of the disease. He also cited the declining attention to screening and preventive check-ups as an additional problem.
What depends on early detection
According to Cheryomushkin, modern treatment can achieve good results when a tumor is detected in time: at early stages, surgical methods are used, while for more advanced disease — combined treatment, including radiation and chemotherapy. «With early detection, survival rates are quite high. The main rule is: the earlier the cancer is detected, the better the treatment outcome», — quotes the doctor Vechernyaya Moskva.
Forecast to 2050
The doctor's assessment echoes researchers' forecast: by 2050, the annual number of deaths from cervical cancer worldwide could increase by almost 40% — from 369 thousand in 2023 to 514 thousand. The study was published in Nature Medicine and is based on data from 204 countries. Thus, the projected increase is linked in the publications to two groups of factors — reduced availability of prevention and insufficient attention of women to screenings.
