Cervical Cancer Screening: 2016–2018 Data

Santé publique France has released new data on cervical cancer screening coverage and a methodological guide for evaluating the screening program

Cervical cancer

thematic dossier

Cervical cancer, which is caused in nearly 100% of cases by a sexually transmitted human papillomavirus infection, can be prevented through HPV vaccination and screening.

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The data presented are based on coverage estimates prior to the implementation of the organized screening program.

Guide for the Evaluation of the Cervical Cancer Screening Program

As part of its mission to conduct epidemiological evaluations of cancer screening programs, Santé publique France is publishing a methodological guide defining performance indicators and data formats for the evaluation of the national organized cervical cancer screening program. Following the implementation of breast and colorectal cancer screening programs, the cervical cancer screening program is the third national organized cancer screening program. It is currently being rolled out across the entire country.

This guide is intended for regional cancer screening coordination centers (RCDC) responsible for organizing programs at the regional level, for software developers providing specialized software to these centers, as well as for all professionals and institutions involved in cervical cancer screening. The objectives of this guide are to:

  • define the program’s performance indicators

  • define the data required to generate these indicators, which must be submitted by the RCDCs to Santé publique France in a standardized format;

  • describe the procedure for transmitting this data to Santé publique France.

59.5% of women aged 25–65 have undergone screening, a figure that has remained stable since 2012

Santé publique France has published an update, covering the period 2016–2018, of national and subnational estimates of the coverage rate for triennial cervical cancer screening among women aged 25 to 65. These estimates, calculated using cervical smear reimbursement data from the national health insurance databases, serve as a baseline prior to the rollout of the organized screening program across the entire country. They should enable an assessment of the program’s impact on cervical cancer screening coverage, for which the target is set at 80%. They can also help regional health agencies and CRCDCs identify areas where specific efforts are needed. These estimates, broken down by region, department, and age group, are presented in the form of maps and tables on Géodes (geodes.santepubliquefrance.fr).

Key Findings

  • Overall coverage for all women (aged 25–65) is 59.5%, a figure equal to that of the previous three-year period and showing no significant change since 2012.

  • The trends by age and geographic region observed previously are confirmed: coverage decreases significantly with age starting at age 50, falling to 44.5% among women aged 60–65.

  • There are marked geographical differences, with departmental rates ranging from 40.8% (Martinique) to 69.1% (Bas-Rhin).

  • Coverage rates are particularly low (<50%) in the overseas departments and regions (with the exception of Réunion) as well as in Seine-Saint-Denis.

  • The highest rates (>66%) are found in Haute-Garonne, Isère, and Alsace (Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin), with these three departments having benefited from a well-established organized screening program for the past twenty to thirty years.

  • Once the organized screening program is rolled out nationwide, the coverage indicator and other program indicators will be calculated based on data reported by the CRCDCs.