Prognosis of stage III cervical cancer: a two-way outcome study

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second most common female malignancy worldwide, and the prognosis of patients with the locally advanced stage is poor, with a high risk of recurrent. This study aimed to explore the effect factors that influence the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and quality of life in patients with stage III cervical cancer. METHODS: A two-way follow-up method was utilized to collect information from patients with stage III cervical cancer. Survival analyses were performed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors related to quality of life. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty subjects were enrolled in this study. The median follow-up time was 28 months (range, 1–51 months). The 3-year OS and PFS rates were 69.0% and 55.0%, respectively. Primiparous age above 30 years, age at diagnosis below 40 years, lymph node metastasis, non-squamous cell carcinoma, and larger tumors were risk factors of OS and PFS, while the protective factors were weight loss, good mental status, and standardized treatment. The quality of life was better in patients with the following characteristics: younger age at diagnosis, active review according to medical orders, and earlier return to society. CONCLUSIONS: Primiparous age above 30 years was a poor prognostic factor for OS, PFS, and quality of life. The common factors relevant to prognosis were confirmed to be significant.