Cervical cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in East Africa, even though it is one of the easiest cancers to detect early, a radio oncologist has warned. Experts say urgent action is needed to expand screening and preventive measures to reduce the high mortality rate.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation, Dr. Zahra Mohammed, a radio oncologist at HCG Cancer Centre, said cervical cancer ranks second after breast cancer in terms of new cases but tops the list when it comes to deaths among women in the region.
“Cervical cancer is number two in incidence, but in mortality, cervical cancer is number one, meaning that you have high rates of mortality secondary to cervical cancer,” she explained on Thursday.
Dr. Mohammed said the high death rates are particularly worrying because cervical cancer is largely preventable and can be detected at early stages. “It’s one of the easiest cancers to detect, and you can really catch it early, when it’s still in the precancerous condition and has not progressed to invasive disease,” she added.
In East Africa, she noted, cervical cancer is the leading cancer both in new cases and deaths, a stark contrast to the global picture where it ranks much lower.
Screening, according to Dr. Mohammed, is the single most effective tool for reducing deaths. “Detection is through screening, and the whole purpose of screening is to detect the lesion at an early stage, where treatment can be easy, affordable, and curative,” she said, noting that Kenya has introduced HPV testing as part of its screening efforts.
Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly high-risk strains 16 and 18. Dr. Mohammed said these strains account for “about 99% of the most common cervical cancers and around 70% of all cervical cancer cases overall.”
HPV is sexually transmitted and extremely common. She cited Ministry of Health data showing that over 90% of men and about 84% of women will encounter HPV at some point in their lives.
“Most people will get the virus, but the normal body immunity is able to eradicate it within a year or two,” she said. However, in about 20 to 30% of cases—especially among people with weakened immunity, such as those living with HIV—the virus persists, enters cervical cells, and causes abnormal changes known as dysplasia.
Dr. Mohammed emphasized that cervical cancer develops slowly. “From the time the virus is not eradicated to the development of invasive disease, it can take 10 to 20 years,” she said. “That long window means if we do our screening properly, we can catch and treat these changes early and prevent cancer altogether.”
She urged women to prioritize regular screening and vaccination, stressing that early action could dramatically lower the high death toll from cervical cancer in the region.
Cervical cancer continues to be a major public health concern, with the Global Cancer Observatory reporting an estimated 5,845 new cases and 3,591 deaths each year in Kenya.
