Survival of cervix cancer patients in Kampala, Uganda: 1995-1997

The survival experience of 261 patients with cancer of the cervix registered by the Kampala population-based cancer registry, Uganda, in 1995-1997, is described. Vital status of the subjects was established by active methods including a search of hospital records and house visits. Of the 261 cases, 82 (31.4%) were dead and 105 (40.2%) were alive at the closing date of 31 December 1999; the remaining 74 cases (28.4%) were lost during the follow-up period. Overall observed and relative survival at 3 years was 52.4 and 59.9%, respectively. Of these cases, one-quarter (63) had been treated in the radiotherapy department. These cases had better survival (82.6%) than nontreated patients (78.5%) after 1 year of follow-up, but there was no difference at 3 years. HIV status was not significantly related to prognosis. Stage is an important determinant of survival: cases with distant metastasis had a risk of death some three times that of patients with localised disease. Early detection and prompt treatment should improve overall survival from cervix cancer, in the African context.