Investigation of age as a prognostic factor in early stage invasive cancer of the cervix. Implications for nursing

A retrospective study was conducted investigating the relationships between age and length of survival, and between age and the prognostic factors of disease stage, tumor size, histologic grade, and hematocrit. The subjects consisted of all of the women with early-stage invasive squamous cell cancer of the cervix, treated with radiation therapy alone in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the State University of New York-Health Science Center at Brooklyn between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1986. The 105 eligible subjects were divided into two groups: those 39 and younger (n = 22) and those older than 39 (n = 83). Length of survival was significantly shorter for the younger group (p = 0.0009). Of this group, 50% had died from disease compared with 23% of the older group. Tumor size was also significantly greater in the younger group (p = 0.038). Further study is needed to determine the contributing risk factors for cancer of the cervix in young women and to develop a comprehensive gynecologic nursing assessment tool for identifying those at increased risk for this disease. In terms of developmental psychology, the young women fit into the stage of early adulthood. Knowledge of the tasks of this stage would facilitate the development of primary cancer prevention programs for this group.