Age as a prognostic factor in carcinoma of the cervix.

To investigate whether age is a prognostic factor in patients with carcinoma of the cervix, a retrospective study was undertaken of 261 patients, aged 45 years or less, who were referred to the Rotterdamsch Radio-Therapeutisch Instituut (RRTI) between 1973 and 1982. Patients were referred for either primary treatment--surgery or radiotherapy--or for adjuvant radiotherapy. Overall 5-year survival figures were rather low, which may be explained by negative patient selection as the RRTI is a referral hospital: stage IB, 72%; stage IIA; 61%; stage IIB; 52%; stage III; 29%. A particular poor survival was noted for patients (n = 22) aged 28 or less. Overall 5-year survival of these patients was only 39% in contrast to 67% 5-year survival of older patients. This difference was highly significant (p less than 0.002). Even if corrected for stage, very young patients had a poorer prognosis (stage IB: 45% versus 75% 5-year survival of older patients). Within the older age group, no trend towards a better prognosis with increasing age could be identified. As a treatment was similar for all patients, no explanation is available for this observation.