Cancer
Older women disproportionately diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Women 65 and older are diagnosed more frequently with advanced cervical cancer — and fare worse with long-term survival — than younger women, suggests an analysis published online Jan. 9, 2023, by the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
Researchers used data from the California Cancer Registry to identify 12,442 women ages 21 and older who were diagnosed with cervical cancer between 2009 and 2018, along with the stage of their cancer at diagnosis and their five-year survival rates. About 71% of patients 65 and older were diagnosed with late-stage disease (defined as stages 2 through 4), compared with 48% of younger women. Additionally, five-year survival was significantly lower among older women compared with patients under 65, and women 80 and older had the lowest survival of all age groups.
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About the Author

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer

Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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