In Belgium, this cancer affects 650 women per year. Regular screening can reduce the incidence and mortality of this cancer by 90%.
However, doctors note that only 50% of Belgian women have recourse to a smear regularly. Yet it is an act that takes little time, is reimbursed every three years and has the ability to significantly reduce the number of cervical cancers or identify them at a time when they are still curable.
“Cervical cancer kills 200 Belgian women every year, mostly at a young age. The treatments are heavy and systematically affect their fertility and their sexuality”, explains Professor Frédéric Kridelka, director of the gynecology-obstetrics department of the University Hospital of Liège, spokesperson for the project. The cure rate is only 60%.
It is also the 4th most common cancer in women aged 24 to 44.
The main cause of cervical cancer are human papillomaviruses, also called HPV. In fact, they are responsible for 99% of these cancers. Diseases caused by this virus affect 25,000 people a year in Belgium.
From March 13, a major awareness campaign aimed at women aged 25 to 64 will be carried out simultaneously in Brussels and Wallonia and will take the form of posters but also spots broadcast on radio and television. Two websites are also available: www.depistagecoluterus.be et www.les-hpv.be.