CERVICAL-CANCER IN YOUNG-WOMEN - A POORER PROGNOSIS

Objective: The existence of an aggressive form of cervical carcinoma a ffecting young women is studied by survival analysis of a large patien t population. Method: Between 1969 and 1986, 1577 cases of cervical ca ncer were treated according to well-defined policies at the University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Debrecen, Hungary. Patien ts' records were reviewed to obtain data for survival analysis. Kaplan -Meier survival curves were generated for each stage and stratified fo r age. The log-rank test was used to compare the survival of younger a nd older patients at each stage. Multivariate analysis was performed t o control for stage and treatment type when 5-year survival trends acr oss four different age groups were examined. Results: Comparison of su rvival of patients under 35 and over 35 years of age, and also those u nder 40 and over 40 years of age revealed no significant differences. Five-year survival across the < 30, 30-39, 40-49 and greater than or e qual to 50 years age groups showed no significant trend. No difference s in survival were revealed when the comparison was controlled for sta ge of disease and treatment type. Conclusion: Results suggest that cer vical carcinoma in young women is not more aggressive than in other ag e groups.