[Sociodemographic and clinical characterization of elderly women with cervical cancer]

To characterize sociodemographic and clinical aspects of elderly women with cervical cancer in Maranhão, Brazil.

Retrospective and descriptive study of secondary sources.

559 elderly women with cervical cancer from 2009 to 2013 and registered in the hospital-based cancer registry were included in the study. The mean age was 69.91 years, with a predominance of brown women (46%), with incomplete primary education (42%), married (45.4%), and without drinking and smoking habits (58.3% and 39.4%, respectively). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent type pf cancer (80.5%) with advanced stage 3B in 29.0% of the cases. At the end of the first treatment, 43.6% did not show any evidence of disease or complete remission.

Results point to the need to improve campaigns for the age group studied, as well as the coverage through campaigns to promote cytopathological examination. Also health professionals should be encouraged to identify women who are behind in the examination when attending health services, thus avoiding the loss of prevention opportunities.