Survival of Patients With Cervical Cancer in Rural India

Abstract

Background: Patients survival after diagnosis of cervical cancer is indirectly influenced by socio-economic factors. We evaluated this survival and its socio-economic determinants in a rural population in south India.

Methods: We assessed 165 women diagnosed with cervical cancer from the routine care control arm of a randomized screening trial conducted in rural south India. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to illustrate the observed survival of cancer patients. The effect of socio-economic factors was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

Results: The 5-year observed survival was 32.5%, ranging from 9% for stage IV to 78% for stage I cancers. Women with poor socio-economic status (SES) had up to a 70% higher risk of death. Higher household income was significantly associated with poorer survival. However, most women in the higher income group were married women and housewives, hence with no personal income.

Conclusion: Cervical cancer survival was disappointingly low in these rural populations of India and stage of disease at diagnosis was the strongest determinant. A higher household income is not always associated with women being empowered in terms of seeking healthcare. The study findings further stress the importance of strengthening prevention and screening opportunities to women in rural populations.




J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2015;4(4):290-296
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jcgo367w