Cervical neoplasia in residents of a low-income housing project: an epidemiologic study

In 1969, a published report estimated that the incidence of cervical cancer in a low-income housing project in Atlanta, G Georgia, might be of epidemic proportion. In 1971, we surveyed this housing project to determine if the prevalence rate of cervical neoplasia was unusually high during the period January, 1969, through September, 1971. From the survey we determined the number of women at risk for cervical neoplasia, and we determined the number of women who had cervical neoplasia from the Tumor Registry at Grady Memorial Hospital. The over-all cervical dysplasia rate was 63/1,000. The over-all prevalence rate of cervical carcinoma in situ was 11/1,000. These rates were compared with rates in two studies which also dealt with the prevalence of cervical neoplasia in low-income black populations. The rates in all three studies were comparable. We conclude that the high rates do not necessarily signify an epidemic, but we suspect that the prevalence of cervical neoplasia in low-income black women is much higher than previously estimated.