Age is prognostic variable in cervical squamous cell carcinoma

A clinico-pathologic review was performed on all younger (under 35 years) and older (55 years or over) women with a diagnosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma assessed at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre from 1980 to 1985 to determine the effect of age at diagnosis on survival. 45 younger women were identified: 32 were Stage IB; 10, Stage II; and 3, Stage III. 64 older women were identified: 16 were Stage IB; 30, Stage II; 14, Stage III; and 4, Stage IV. For Stage IB women, 40.6% of younger patients developed persistent or recurrent disease and all except one are dead; only one (6.2%) older woman's tumour recurred and she is alive with disease. Younger women had a poorer disease-free survival not only for Stage IB disease (p = 0.014) but also in Stages II and III (p = 0.020). In this study age at diagnosis was an independent prognostic variable with younger women having a poorer disease-free and overall survival.