Decline in Rate of Radical Hysterectomies Performed by Gynecologic Oncologists in the United States

Trends in cervical cancer epidemiology and physician workforces have converged to make radical hysterectomy an increasingly rare procedure for gynecologic oncologists practicing in the United States. Using data from the National Cancer Database and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's United States Cancer Statistics and published gynecologic oncology workforce data, we assessed trends in radical hysterectomy performed in the United States from 2004 to 2020. Over this period, the annual rate of radical hysterectomies per gynecologic oncologist declined significantly, by an average of 6.9% per year (95% CI, 6.4-7.5), corresponding to a decrease from 4.5 to 1.5 cases per oncologist per year. The increasing rarity of radical hysterectomy may pose a challenge to those seeking to acquire and maintain competency in this complex operation.