Epidemiology of Survival From Cancer of the Cervix<xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN1">2</xref>

Abstract

A study was made of the survival, after treatment, of the 3,573 women with cancer of the cervix in the counties of New York State, excluding those in and around New York City, from 1959-63. We were interested in discovering whether there were differences in the proportion surviving 5 years among patients treated in various kinds of hospitals and by different types of physicians. Since survival varied substantially by age of patient and her socioeconomic status, our analyses were adjusted statistically for these factors. Through the use of the New York State Cancer Registry and our auxiliary case-finding procedures, we secured almost all cases of cancer diagnosed during the study period. We completed follow-up to determine present status of patients in all but 0.3%. Our reliability checks of a sample of the pathologic diagnoses done in hospitals throughout the State, conducted by the study pathologist, showed good agreement. A reassessment of a 10% random sample of our staging showed 97.3% agreement. Survival from disease in advanced stages was beHer in patients treated by gynecologists and surgeons and by doctors who had treated many such patients. Survival was greatly enhanced in the early stages of disease. This argues for better screening, especially in high-risk populations.