Research on Uterine Cervical Cancer in Korea: Current Status and Perspectives

Joo-Hyun Nam

doi:10.5124/jkma.2007.50.9.807

J Korean Med Assoc > Volume 50(9); 2007 > Article

Nam: Research on Uterine Cervical Cancer in Korea: Current Status and Perspectives

Focused Issue

J Korean Med Assoc 2007; 50(9): 807-814.

Published online: January 20, 2007

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2007.50.9.807

Research on Uterine Cervical Cancer in Korea: Current Status and Perspectives

Joo-Hyun Nam, MD

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine E-mail: jhnam@amc.seoul.kr

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

In Korea, cervical cancer is the fifth most common female cancer and the eighth most common cause of female cancer deaths. It is the most frequently diagnosed gynecologic cancer. Over the past decades, a marked reduction in the incidence and mortality of this malignancy has been documented. This has been largely attributed to widespread screening using papanicolaou smear, the early detection and treatment of preivasive lesions, and development of an effective treatment modality for invasive cervical cancer. The recently developed human papilomavirus vaccine is expected to further reduce the incidence and mortality of this malignancy markedly. Epidemiologic, biologic, and clinical research on cervical cancer is carried out worldwide to introduce human papillomavirus test and vaccine and to develop effective treatment for invasive cancer. At this point of time, the author reviewed the present status of research on cervical cancer and proposed future studies required to reduce the incidence and mortality of this malignancy in Korea.

Figure 1.

Left; frequency of female cancer in Korea (2002). Right; cause of female cancer death in Korea (2005). Cervical cancer is the fifth most common female cancer and the eighth most common cause of female cancer death in Korea.

Figure 2.

Upper; the proportion of each organ cancer cases among all cancer cases in Korea(1988∼2002). Lower; the actual number of each organ cancer in Korea (1995∼2002). The proportion of cervical cancer cases among all cancer cases reduced over the past 2 decades and the actual number of cervical cancer also reduced.

Figure 3.

The death rate for cervical cancer in Korea (1993∼2002).

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