Invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix associated with pregnancy: 90 years of experience.

BACKGROUND

This study is a representation of 90 years of experience with carcinoma of the uterine cervix in pregnancy. The objective was to retrospectively study changes in the distribution of cervical carcinoma (CC) by age, disease stage, histopathology, survival, and the development of second primary cancers.

METHODS

Altogether, 18,474 women with newly diagnosed CC were examined and treated at the Radiumhemmet between 1914 and 2004, including 9247 women who were of a childbearing age (<50 years) and 219 women who were pregnant.

RESULTS

The mean patient age declined from 35 years (during 1914-1943) to 32.2 years (during 1960-2004). Similarly, the age range changed from ages 23 to 51 years (during 1914-1943) to ages 21 to 47 years (during 1960-2004). The relative incidence for all women aged <50 years who were treated for CC dropped considerably from 4.2% (during 1914-1943) to 1.2% (during 1960-2004), which translated into a reduction of by approximately 66%. At the time of diagnosis, stage I CC was observed in 75.6% of patients during 1960 to 2004 compared with 24.8% of patients during 1914 to 1943. The 10-year actuarial survival rate improved significantly during the study period from 27% (1914-2004) to 79% (1960-2004). The 10-year cause-specific cumulative actuarial survival rate for 41 women who were treated during 1960 to 2004 did not differ statistically from the rate for an age-matched, stage-matched, and histopathology-matched control series from the total cohort of women with CC who were treated at the Radiumhemmet during the same period (log-rank test; P = .85).

CONCLUSIONS

During the study period, the incidence of CC during pregnancy declined, the cases were discovered at earlier stages, and survival improved. Furthermore, there was no increase in second primary cancers, and pregnancy did not appear to influence prognosis.