Net Survival of Elderly Patients with Gynecological Cancer Aged Over 75 Years in 2006-2008

BACKGROUND: The number of elderly patients with gynecological cancer in Japan is increasing in line with the aging of society. However, little has been reported on the survival of elderly patients aged 75 or older with gynecological cancer in Japan. METHODS: To clarify survival in women aged 75 years or older with gynecological cancer, we analyzed data of 4,089 gynecological cancer cases (cervical cancer, 1,309 cases; endometrial cancer, 1,319 cases; and ovarian cancer, 1,461 cases) in patients aged 75 or older from 21 population-based cancer registries in Japan, diagnosed in 2006-2008. We calculated the net survival (NS) of younger (75-79 years old), older (80-84 years old) and the oldest age group (85-99 years old). We also calculated NS stratified by extent of disease and histological type. RESULTS: Five-year NS of cervical cancer patients was 54.5% in the younger age group, 40.8% in the older age group and 28.2% in the oldest age group. Five-year NS of endometrial cancer patients was 64.5%, 51.6% and 39.0% in the younger, older and oldest age groups, respectively. Five-year NS of ovarian cancer was 34.7%, 18.8% and 8.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We estimated NS in elderly patients aged 75 years or older with gynecological cancers in Japan using data from population-based cancer registries.