Timely Estimates of 5-Year Relative Survival for Patients With Cervical Cancer: A Period Analysis Using Cancer Registry Data From Taizhou, Eastern China

OBJECTIVES: While timely assessment of long-term survival for patients with cervical cancer is essential for the evaluation of early detection and screening programs for cervical cancer, those data are extremely scarce in China. We aimed to timely and accurately assess long-term survival for patients with cervical cancer in eastern China, using cancer registry data from Taizhou, eastern China. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer during 2004–2018 from four cancer registries with high-quality data from Taizhou, eastern China were included. A period analysis was used to calculate the 5-year relative survival (RS) overall and on stratification by sex, age at diagnosis, and region. Additionally, the projected 5-year relative survival (RS) of patients with cervical cancer during 2019–2023 was evaluated, using a model-based period analysis. RESULTS: Overall 5-year RS for patients with cervical cancer during 2014–2018 reached 90.9%. When stratified by age at diagnosis, we found a clear age gradient for 5-year RS, declining from 95.6% for age <45 years to 68.7% for age >74 years, while urban areas had higher 5-year RS compared to rural areas (92.9 vs. 88.6%). We found a clear increasing trend of 5-year RS during 2004–2018 overall and on stratification by region and age at diagnosis. The projected overall 5-year RS is expected to reach 94.2% for the period 2019–2023. CONCLUSIONS: We found that, for the first time in China, using period analysis, the most up-to-date (during 2014–2018) 5-year RS for patients with cervical cancer reached 90.9%. Our data have important implications for the timely evaluation of early detection and screening programs for patients with cervical cancer in eastern China.