R. Taylor et al., CERVICAL-CANCER IN NEW-SOUTH-WALES WOMEN - 5-YEAR SURVIVAL, 1972 TO 1991, Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 20(4), 1996, pp. 413-420
We analysed five-year relative survival of 6992 cases of cervical canc
er incident between 1972 and 1991 in New South Wales (NSW) women, usin
g data from the population-based state Cancer Registry. Follow-up was
to 1992. Survival was determined by record linkage to death certificat
es. Relative survival was derived from absolute survival of cases with
expected survival of age- and period-matched NSW women. Proportional
hazard regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. Relativ
e survival at five years improved from 64 per cent in 1972-1976 to 72
per cent in 1987-1991, although the only significant increase occurred
between 1972-1976 and 1977-1981 (64 to 70 per cent). Survival was bet
ter for the age groups 0-39 years (RR 0.51) and 40-49 years (RR 0.63)
and worse for the elderly (greater than or equal to 65 years) (RR 1.47
) than for the referent group (50-64 years). Excess mortality was much
less for those with localised disease (referent group), than for thos
e with regional spread (RR 3.47) or metastatic cancer (RR 10.5) at dia
gnosis. For the most recent period (1987-1991), relative five-year sur
vival for localised disease was 82 per cent, for regional spread at di
agnosis it was 49 per cent, and for metastatic cancer 21 per cent. Whe
n adjusted for confounding, excess mortality was significantly higher
for adenocarcinoma (RR 1.16) than for squamous cell carcinoma. Five-ye
ar relative survival for cervical cancer in NSW women for the most rec
ent period is similar to that in South Australia, and both compare fav
ourably with international statistics. The lack of improvement of five
-year survival for cervical cancer over 15 years since 1977-1981 reinf
orces the importance of prevention through regular screening by cytolo
gy.