Cervical cancer is the cancer that causes the largest number of deaths among women in many developing countries and is the second most common cancer among South African women.
Only breast cancer is more common and, according to the Cancer Association of South Africa, one in every 42 women in the country will be diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Early detection of cervix cell changes means that treatment can be started before the cervical cancer has caused any symptoms, increasing the likelihood of the treatment being successful.