Clinical determinants of survival from stage Ib cervical cancer in an inner-city hospital.

This study reviewed a high-risk population of inner-city women with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians) stage Ib cervical cancer diagnosed and treated at a single institution between 1986 and 1993. The patient age at diagnosis averaged 49 years, and most of the patients were black (83%). Squamous carcinomas predominated (75%). Radiotherapy was the most frequent treatment modality (49%), followed by surgery (38%) and combined radiation/surgery (13%). The Kaplan-Meier estimated 4-year survival for all patients completing treatment was 81%. Increased survival was significantly associated with therapy. The Kaplan-Meier estimated survival at 26 months (the time of the last death in radiotherapy patients) was 66% for radiotherapy patients and 100% for those treated with surgery. Radiotherapy patients differed from surgery patients in age, tumor size, and pelvic lymph node status, indicating that treatment selection bias could explain the observed difference in survival. Age, race, histology, and cervical lesion size were not significantly associated with survival.