Cervical cancer in Jewish women

Abstract

Because of the known low incidence rate of cervical cancer in Jewish women, less than appropriate attention has been focused on this type of malignancy in Jewesses. We have summarized our experience with 144 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed during 25 years in South Israel. In recent years a remarkable, although not statistically significant, increase in the number of patients with cervical cancer could be observed. Only two of ten patients were diagnosed at preinvasive stage. In contrast with previous reports we did not find women of Asian and African origin to be overrepresented, but patients from these origins were more often diagnosed at a higher stage than were patients of European origin. Adenocarcinoma accounts for almost 19% of the cervical cancer in premenopausal women. A very low rate of early detection of cervical cancer and a trend of rising incidence of cervical cancer in Jewish women urgently require a reevaluation of health care policy. Large-scale screening programs, perhaps initially in defined high-risk groups are needed.