BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

• Cervical cancer cases have historically declined in the US following introduction of cytological testing
• Amboree et al. (International Journal of Cancer, 2024) evaluated trends in hysterectomy-corrected cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates by county-level income and race/ethnicity

METHODS:

• Analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-22 (SEER-22) dataset for 2000 to 2019
• Exposures
  • County-level income (First quartile: $19,330 to $38,820 | Fourth quartile: $52,260 to $123,450)
  • Race/ethnicity
  • Stage at diagnosis
• Primary outcomes
  • Age-standardized incidence rates for cervical cancer and related mortality

RESULTS:

• Following a period of decline, hysterectomy-corrected cervical cancer incidence increased for non-Hispanic White women in low-income counties
  • 1.0% per year (95% CI, 0.1 to 4.5)
• There was a significant increase in distant-stage cancer for this group
  • 4.4% per year (95% CI, 1.7 to 7.5)
• There were also recent non-significant increases in cervical cancer mortality for
  • Non-Hispanic Black women in low-income counties
    • 2.9% per year (95% CI, –2.3 to 18.2)
  • Hispanic women in low-income counties
    • 1.5% per year (95% CI, –0.6 to 4.1)

CONCLUSION:

• Cervical cancer rates among women in low-income counties in the US are increasing
  • There is a particular increase in distant-stage cancer
• The authors suggest that these results indicate disruptions in the screening to cancer care pipeline

Future research to further comprehend these trends and continued enhancements in prevention are crucial to combat rising cervical cancer incidence and mortality in low-income counties in the United States

Learn More – Primary Sources:

Recent trends in cervical cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, and mortality according to county-level income in the United States, 2000–2019