Cervical Cancer Trends in Mexico: Incidence, Mortality and Research Output

Purpose: To evaluate the recent incidence and mortality of and scientific research trends in cervical cancer inMexican females. Materials and
Methods: Data between 2000 and 2010 from the Department of Epidemiology ofthe Ministry of Health, and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of World Health Organizationwere analyzed, and age-standardized rates (ASRs) were calculated. In addition, scientific research data wereretrieved from the Web of Science database from 2003 to 2012, using different terms related to cervical cancer.
Results: The incidence rate decreased during last five years, while mortality rates showed an annual decrease of4.93%. A total of 780 articles were retrieved, and the institutions with the majority of publications were NationalAutonomous University of Mexico (34.87%), Social Security Mexican Institute (16.02%), and National Instituteof Cancerology (15%). The main types of research were treatment, diagnosis, and prevention.
Conclusions:The above results show that incidence of cervical cancer decreased over time in Mexico during last five years;similarly, the downturn observed in mortality mainly reflects improved survival as a result of earlier diagnosisand cancer treatment. Also, this article demonstrates the usefulness of bibliometrics to address key evaluationquestions and to establish priorities, define future areas of research, and develop cervical cancer control strategiesin Mexico.