Incidence and treatment outcomes of uterine cervical cancer in Korea 1999–2018 from the national cancer registry

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence and survival outcomes of uterine cervical cancer during 1999–2018. METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with cervical cancer during 1999–2018 were identified in the Korea Central Cancer Registry. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) and annual percent changes (APCs) were calculated. Survival rates by histology, year of diagnosis (1999–2008 vs. 2009–2018), stage, and age at diagnosis were analyzed. RESULTS: The absolute incidence of cervical cancer decreased over 20 years from 4,488 in 1999 to 3,500 in 2018, with an APC of −3.42% (p<0.0001). While ASR of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) more than halved from 13.27 per 100,000 in 1999 to 6.16 in 2018 (APC, −4.04%), adenocarcinoma continued to rise (ASR, 1.30 per 100,000 to 1.92; APC, 1.52%; p<0.0001). Patients with adenocarcinoma were younger than those with SCCA (mean, 49.9±12.7 vs. 52.9 ±14.6 years; p<0.0001). Five-year survival rate of cervical cancer patients overall was 78.0%. Adenocarcinoma had poorer survival than SCCA (5-year survival rate, 76.8% vs. 79.8%; p<0.0001). There was no survival difference between patients who were diagnosed between 1999–2008 and 2009–2018. Earlier-stage disease had better survival (5-year survival rate for localized, regional, and distant disease, 90.0% vs. 69.9% vs. 26.5%; p<0.0001). Younger patients aged <50 years had better survival than those aged ≥50 years (87.1% vs. 69.8%; p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of SCCA of the uterine cervix declined while adenocarcinoma continued to increase slowly but significantly from 1999 to 2018 in Korea. Adenocarcinoma was diagnosed at a younger age, but had poorer survival outcome than SCCA.