Epidemiología del cancer del cuello uterino en Costa Rica : 1980-1983

Abstract

In Costa Rica, despite the fact that mortality from cancer of the uterine cervix has decline in the last 20 years, it is still the second cause of cancer deaths in women today. The results from the study reported here- a descriptive epidemiological investigation of cancer of the uterine cervix during the period 1980-1983 in this country- show that the rates of incidence are similar to those in other Latin American countries, and that there are significant differences from region to region within the country. These differences are due mainly to unequal access to medical services by women in different areas and, as a result, early or late detection of the tumor. The rates of invasive cancer and cancer in situ were 33.6 and 36.3 per 100 000 women, respectively. The age-specific rates showed that cancer in situ most frequent in the 35-44 year age group, while the incidence of invasive cancer increased progressively with age. Cancer was found in the endocervix in 62 percent, in the exocervix in 23 percent, and in other parts of the cervix in 14 percent of the 577 cases for which information was available on the location of the tumor. Of the cases of invasive cancer, 83. 4 percent were carcinomas and 6 percent were adenocarcinonmas. The rates of invasive uterine cancer showed significant correlations only with respect to diarrhea-associated infant mortality and to gonorrhea