Relationship among age, race, medical funding, and cervical cancer survival

To examine the impact of age, race, and medical funding on cervical cancer survival.

Study design was a retrospective chart review of cervical cancer patients. Charts were abstracted for demographic characteristics, Pap smear history, clinical presentation, treatment, and survival. Descriptive studies, Spearman correlation, and Cox's proportional hazards regression model were performed.

One hundred-twenty-five cervical cancer patients were included. Mean age at diagnosis was 46.1 +/- 13.2 years, and median survival time from cervical cancer was 31 months; 11.2% of the study population was aged greater than 65 years; 63.4% were African American; and 44.6% had no medical funding. Diagnosis at age of at least 65 years was significantly correlated with suboptimal cervical cancer screening pattern (r = 0.36, p = .0003). Women aged at least 65 years old had a 3.39 time increased hazard of death compared to younger patients (p = .02; OR, 3.39; 95% CI, 1.20-9.56) after adjusting for advanced stage of disease and treatment modality. There was no significant association between medical funding or race on cervical cancer screening pattern, stage at diagnosis, or survival.

Age at diagnosis (> or = 65 years), but not medical funding or race, was correlated with suboptimal cervical cancer screening pattern and poor survival.