Florida incidence of invasive cervical cancer varies by race and ethnicity: Cervical Cancer Research Project

Background: Although cervical cancer incidence has declined in the past decade, considerable racial and ethnic differences remain. The aim of this study was to examine differences in incidence by histology and cancer stage in Florida.

Methods: Females diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer between January 1985 and December 2004 were included in the analysis. Age-adjusted incidence rates by race and ethnicity were estimated for different histological types and stage of cancer. Annual percent of change in incidence was also calculated for each histological type. Rate ratios were estimated by race and ethnicity using Whites and non-Hispanics as the reference group.

Results: Overall, the incidence of squamous and transitional cell carcinoma declined significantly from 9.1 per 100,000 in 1985 to 5.6 in 2004 (P<0.05), while incidence of adenocarcinoma remained the same (P>0.05). Incidence of invasive cervical cancer was 9.6 per 100,000 among Whites, 13.13 among African-Americans and 7.6 among Asian-Pacific Islanders from 2000 to 2004. African-American women were nearly two times more likely to be diagnosed at regional and distant cancer stages than White women for all time periods examined. Further, among African-American women over 40, age-specific incidence of invasive cervical cancer increased considerably, while rates among other racial groups decreased.

Conclusion: The increasing rate of invasive cervical cancer among African-American women over 40 coupled with their diagnosis at a later stage of cancer is of great concern. The observations from these analyses highlight the need to focus prevention and screening efforts on African-American women, in particular post-reproductive aged women.