Premium
Detection of uterine cancer. High and low risk groups
Author(s) -
Hammond E. Cuyler,
Burns Edward L.,
Seidman Herbert,
Percy Constance
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(196811)22:6<1096::aid-cncr2820220604>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - medicine , gynecology , obstetrics , cancer , uterine cancer , incidence (geometry) , cervix , vagina , cervical cancer , carcinoma in situ , surgery , physics , optics
A study was made of the later occurrence of uterine cancer among 39,756 women who were medically and cytologically examined between 1947 and 1959, cancer not having been found at first examination. The subjects were traced for varying periods of time up to 17 years and many of them were examined repeatedly. At first examination 436 of the women had Pap smears read as class III or higher (cancer not being demonstrated at that time). Over 10% of them later developed uterine cancer. Some 19,000 women had smears read no higher than class I or II at two consecutive examinations and 24 of them developed invasive carcinoma of the cervix uteri within 3 years thereafter. At first examination about one fifth of the women reported spotting, abnormal bleeding or discharge from the vagina. The incidence rate of uterine cancer (including carcinoma in situ) was far higher among this group of women than among women who were free of the complaints when first examined; this difference persisted for over 10 years. Therefore, women with such complaints constitute a “high risk” group in relation to the later occurrence of uterine cancer. On the basis of these findings we recommend that great effort be made to persuade women in the “high risk” group to be examined annually (or once every 6 months in the case of women found to have class III or higher smears).