Age as a prognostic factor in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Correlations between age and several prognostic factors, such as histologic cell type, depth of invasion, intravascular invasion, and lymph node metastases (LNM), were analyzed in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCC). A total of 380 patients with Stage IB or more advanced SCC underwent radical hysterectomy at the authors' institution from 1971 to 1987. The cases were divided into four age groups: 30 to 39 years, 40 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, and 60 to 69 years. The depth of invasion was classified in four categories according to pathologic examination of surgical specimens. The only significant factor was the frequency of LNM with deeper invasion, which was less in the 60-to-69-year age group than in the younger age groups. The 5-year survival rates of the patients with LNM also were higher in the 60-to-69-year group. Thus, age 60 or older can be considered a prognostic factor correlating to LNM in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.