Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer imposes a huge global burden. To date, various studies have been conducted on the risk factors associated with cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, mortality, and geographical distribution of cervical cancer and its risk factors in the world. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of sciences, Scopus, and Google Scholar to search for studies published between 2000 and 2017. The keywords used included cervical cancer, cervix uteri cancer, risk factor, incidence, mortality, and a combination of these terms. Results: The results of this study showed that the incidence of cervical cancer varies considerably between developed and developing countries. The findings of this study demonstrated that several factors including sexually transmitted infections, reproductive factors, hormonal influences, genetics and host factors are responsible for the incidence of cervical cancer. Conclusion: The results of this review study suggested that combination of biological, economic and health factors contributes to the incidence of cervical cancer. A large proportion cervical cancer can be prevented by prevention programs, lifestyle enhancement, smoking cessation, and timely and effective treatment of precancerous lesions.