Persistent Racial, Ethnic, and County-Level Disparities in Invasive Cervical Cancer Incidence in Wisconsin, 1998-2022.

INTRODUCTION

Invasive cervical cancer continues to disproportionately affect racially and ethnically minoritized populations and individuals living in rural areas. We analyzed trends in cervical cancer incidence by race, ethnicity, and geography in Wisconsin from 1998 through 2022.

METHODS

Cervical cancer incidence rates (per 100 000 individuals with a cervix) were analyzed by race/ethnicity and county using data from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System.

RESULTS

Overall incidence declined 28%, from 8.2 to 5.9 cases per 100 000, but declines were not evenly distributed across populations. Compared with non-Hispanic White individuals, non-Hispanic Black individuals had nearly twice the incidence rate throughout the study period. Although Hispanic individuals experienced the largest relative decline (40.8%, 15.7 to 9.3 per 100 000), incidence remained higher among non-Hispanic White individuals. Milwaukee County, Wisconsin's most socially vulnerable county, had among the highest incidence rates and slowest decline over time (19.8%).

DISCUSSION: Because cervical cancer is largely preventable, the persistence of substantial disparities in Wisconsin highlights structural inequities that warrant urgent attention.