Age as a prognostic factor in cancer of the cervix: the UAMS experience

Current literature has conflicting reports as to the effect of age on prognosis in cancer of the uterine cervix. In order to evaluate this in our patient population we undertook a retrospective chart review of 235 cases of cervical cancer that were seen at the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) from March 1974 to June 1985 and were followed for a minimum of 54 months. State, grade and age greater than 70 years were significant predictors. Factors that were not statistically significant were race and morphology. Age less than 40, approached statistical significance as a predictive value. Our patients younger than age 40 had a tendency toward a slightly decreased survival when compared to those ages 40-60 and also a much decreased disease-free interval (50 months versus 97 months). This paper was presented on October 25, 1990 at Student Research Day at UAMS.