Earlier diagnosis of cervical cancer. An analysis of reports to the California tumor registry from 1942 to 1963.

The mortality rate for cervical cancer in California declined during the period 1950-64. Indirect evidence shows that the incidence is also declining, but it is difficult to assess this decline because of the effect of the increasing use of cytologic examination on incidence rates for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer, in the 57 hospitals reporting to the California Tumor Registry, is being diagnosed at an earlier stage than in previous years. The proportion of cases diagnosed with the lesion still in the in situ stage rose from zero in 1942 to 56 per cent in 1963, and invasive cervical cancer, as a proportion of all invasive cancer in women, decreased from 15 per cent to 9 per cent. There is wide variation among hospitals in the proportion of cervical cancer cases that are in situ at time of diagnosis.