Story at a glance
- Between 2009 and 2018, nearly one-fifth of California women diagnosed with cervical cancer were at least 65 years old.
- Over 70 percent of these women presented with late-stage disease compared with 48 percent of younger women.
- Current CDC guidelines recommend most women stop screening for the cancer at age 65.
More California women aged 65 or older are facing diagnoses of late-stage cervical cancer and dying of the disease.
That’s according to a new study carried out by researchers at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Data from over 12,000 patients who were diagnosed with the disease between 2009 and 2018 showed nearly one-fifth were at least 65 years old, while 71 percent of older women presented with late-stage disease compared with 48 percent of women under age 65.
Older women also tended to have lower late-stage five-year relative survival rates at 23.2 percent to 36.8 percent, compared with younger women. For those under age 65, late-stage five-year relative survival was measured at 41.5 percent to 51.5 percent.
Despite the disparities documented, CDC guidelines recommend most women stop screening for cervical cancer at age 65, potentially leaving this age group vulnerable, researchers said.
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“Our findings highlight the need to better understand how current screening guidelines might be failing women 65 and over,” said lead study author Julianne Cooley in a release. Cooley is a senior statistician at UC Davis.
“We need to focus on determining the past screening history of older women as well as lapses in follow-up care. We must utilize non-invasive testing approaches for women nearing age 65 or those who need to catch up on their cervical cancer screenings.”
The number of late-stage diagnoses also increased up to age 79, data showed, while women aged 80 and older had the lowest survival rates of all age groups.
Among those aged 65 or older, women with comorbid conditions or were older had a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with late-stage disease.
“Interestingly, prior studies of younger women have found increased late-stage cervical cancer diagnoses among young Hispanic/Latina and Black women,” Cooley added.
“Our study did not observe these associations and instead found that older Hispanic/Latina women were less likely than non-Hispanic white women to be diagnosed late-stage.”
Previous research has also detailed a rise in cervical cancer among millennial women, reversing historic declines in this age group.
Both the HPV test and Pap smear test can help detect and prevent cervical cancer, according to the CDC.
Following decades of decline, the incidence of cervical cancer has plateaued since 2012, while rates of invasive forms of the disease have increased in recent decades, researchers said.
The majority of cervical cancers are caused by HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection. Although Vaccines against HPV exist, low uptake of the shot was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Women who are not up to date for recommended cervical cancer screenings may also be at risk.
“Scheduled screenings may also decrease as women approach 65, increasing the likelihood that women have not been adequately screened prior to the upper age cutoff,” said study author Frances Maguire, a senior epidemiologist at UC Davis.
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