Definition
Rate of mortality from cervical cancer per 100,000 females.Numerator
Number of deaths due to cervical cancer for a specific time period.Denominator
Mid-year female resident population for a specific time period.Data Interpretation Issues
Cancer cases do not include in situ. Mortality rates may vary from source to source. This may be due to using provisional data or using different population databases. The cancer mortality rates provided by the [http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/chronic/pages/cancer/registry.aspx Alaska Cancer Registry] use population estimates provided by the [http://seer.cancer.gov/ Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER)] of the [http://www.cancer.gov/ National Cancer Institute]. In contrast, [http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/VitalStats/Pages/data/default.aspx Alaska Vital Statistics] uses [http://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/pop/index.cfm population estimates] provided by the State Demographer in the [http://laborstats.alaska.gov/ Research and Analysis Section] of the [http://labor.alaska.gov/ Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development].Why Is This Important?
It is estimated that in the United States in 2018, 4,170 women will die from cervical cancer. Cervical cancer mortality tends to occur in midlife, with the highest percentage of deaths in women age 55-64 years. Median age at death from cervical cancer is 58. The highest rates of death from cervical cancer are among Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic women.^1^
Mortality rates tell us about the rate at which people die of cancer. This rate is a function of the number of new cases each year and how long people live with the disease. When examined along with the rate of new incidence cases, cancer mortality rates can show if progress is being made in increasing cancer survival over time.[[br]]
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1. [http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/cervix.html Cancer of the Cervix Uteri - SEER Stat Fact Sheets]
}}Healthy People Objective: Reduce the death rate from cancer of the uterine cervix
U.S. Target: 2.2 deaths per 100,000 females
How Are We Doing?
The number of cervical cancer deaths in Alaska is relatively low, averaging about 6 per year. Due to the low numbers, rates of death cannot be calculated for all years. Cervical cancer was the 21st leading cause of cancer deaths in Alaska during 2012-2016.
In Alaska for the period of 1996-2016, cervical cancer mortality ranged from a high of 6.2 per 100,000 females in Bethel Census Area to a low of 1.6 per 100,000 females in Kenai Peninsula Borough, compared to the statewide rate of 1.9. Because of the low number of cervical cancer deaths statewide, most of the borough/census areas had less than 6 cases, so rates were not calculated.
By race for 1996-2016, Alaska Native women had a higher cervical cancer mortality rate than other races at 3.3 per 100,000 females, compared to 1.7 for White females and 1.3 for Asians/Pacific Islander females. Black women had less than 6 deaths, so rates could not be calculated.How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Where rates of death from cervical cancer can be calculated, they are similar to U.S. rates, which decrease with time. In 2013, Alaska's cervical cancer mortality rate was 2.3 per 100,000 females compared with the U.S. rate of 2.3 in 2015.