Cervical cancer: what should we tell women about screening?

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide, with significantly higher rates in developing areas, especially in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America (Parkin, Bray, Ferlay, & Pisani, 2005). In contrast, incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer in the United States have declined significantly among women of all ethnic and racial groups; it is not among the top 10 leading causes of new cancer cases in women (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2006b; Edwards et al.,2005).