Julianne Cooley, a senior statistician with the California Cancer Reporting and Epidemiologic Surveillance Program, summarizes her study published in the American Association for Cancer Research Journal.
Background
Through adequate screening and follow-up, cervical cancer can be prevented or detected at early-stage (stage I), which is related to excellent survival. Current guidelines recommend discontinuing screening for women ≥65 years with a history of normal Pap and/or HPV tests, potentially leaving this age group vulnerable. This study examined late-stage disease in a population-based cohort.
Methods
Using California Cancer Registry data, we identified 12,442 patients ages ≥21 years with a first primary cervical cancer diagnosis during 2009–2018. Proportions of late-stage disease (stages II–IV) and early- and late-stage 5-year relative survival are presented by the age group. Among patients ages ≥65 years, multivariable logistic regression estimated associations of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with late-stage cervical cancer.
Results
Nearly one fifth of patients (n = 2,171, 17.4%) were ≥65 years. More women ages ≥65 years (71%) presented with late-stage disease than younger women (48% in patients ages <65). Late-stage 5-year relative survival was lower for women ≥65 years (23.2%–36.8%) compared with patients <65 (41.5%–51.5%). Characteristics associated with late-stage cervical cancer in women ≥65 years included older age [odds ratio (OR), 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–1.04; each year], non-adenocarcinoma histologic subtypes, and comorbidities (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.21–2.08).
Conclusions
There remains a significant burden of advanced cervical cancer in women ≥65.
Impact
Efforts should be made to better understand how the current screening paradigm is failing women of 65 years and older. Future work should focus on determining past screening history, lapses in follow-up care, and non-invasive testing approaches.
This data can help us promote efforts to improve screening, testing, and overall care for women under 65.
What to Read Next
Edit Sets: What They Are, How They Are Used, and What’s New for v25A
Standardized edit sets are a critical part of ensuring cancer registry data quality. At the last count, the NAACCR Edits…
Become a Charter Member of the Upkeep WG!
The Professional Development Steering Committee is looking for three to four volunteers to join the Upkeep Work Group (WG). We…
It Takes a Village: The Collaborative Review Process That Makes VPR Linkages Possible
Since its official launch in 2022, NAACCR’s Virtual Pooled Registry (VPR) has been used in more than 30 minimal risk…