CERVICAL CANCER IN ISRAEL 2016: FACTS, INSIGHTS AND THOUGHTS FOR THE FUTURE

INTRODUCTION: The natural history of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer in Israeli women differs from that reported in the world. In 2011, 244 women were diagnosed in Israel with invasive cervical cancer, with the mortality of 79 women. The incidence of cervical cancer in Israel is about 5 new cases per year per 100,000 women (5.4 Jewish, 3.2 Arab). This figure is very low compared with statistics presented in other countries and has not changed over the last decades. The vast majority of Israeli women were diagnosed due to symptoms and not following Pap smear screening. The mortality rate in Israel is similar to that of other OECD countries. In Israel, 71% of patients survive five years or more, the rate is not significantly different from the percentage of survival of other OECD countries. Over half of the Israeli patients are diagnosed in the late stage disease. This delay in cervical cancer diagnosis is probably due to the lack of a national screening program. We recommend more efficient routing of national expenditure for cervical cancer screening and prevention in Israel, scanning asymptomatic women and targeting disadvantaged populations. By applying the proposed screening strategy, redirection of resources will reduce cervical cancer morbidity and mortality, and will increase the percentage of women from low socioeconomic populations tested in Israel.