PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Researchers suggest risk of cervical or vaginal cancer higher in women previously treated for pre-cancerous cells on cervix

But researchers say that the overall risk is still low

2014-01-15
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Stephanie Burns
sburns@bmj.com
44-020-738-36920
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Researchers suggest risk of cervical or vaginal cancer higher in women previously treated for pre-cancerous cells on cervix But researchers say that the overall risk is still low Women previously treated for abnormal cells on the cervix (CIN3 or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3) are at an increased risk of developing and dying from cervical or vaginal cancer compared with the general female population and this risk accelerates above age 60, a paper published today on bmj.com suggests.

Cytology screening to prevent cervical cancer is a medical success story and examinations have proven to be an effective way to reduce deaths from cervical cancer. However, the risk of cervical cancer is not eliminated when abnormal cells are detected and removed and as such women are asked to participate in follow-up programmes.

No prior study has investigated how ageing affects the risk of death from cervical cancer after treatment of CIN3. Researchers from Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute in Sweden therefore aimed to investigate how age affected this risk.

They used data from the Swedish Cancer Registry which contained information on 150,883 women with CIN3, 1,089 of which had a diagnosis of invasive cervical cancer and 147 women who had a diagnosis of vaginal cancer. 302 and 53, respectively, had died of these diseases.

The researchers found there was an increased risk of invasive cervical and invasive vaginal cancer as women once treated for CIN3 grew older. The risk, compared to the general female population, accelerated after the age of 60. After the age of 75, incidence rates increased further with rates exceeding 100 per 100,000 women over this age. Also, the more recently a woman had been treated, the higher the risk of cancer.

There was also an increase in excess risk with age at treatment of CIN3: after adjusting for duration of follow-up and treatment period there was a fivefold increase in risk for treatment at age 60-69 compared with women aged 30-39.

The study covered a total of 3,160,978 women-years and found that there were 355 cause-specific deaths during the study period. There was a steep increase in risk of death with increased age after previous diagnosis of CIN3. This risk was more than doubled after 30 years following treatment, compared with the general population. In women of 72 years of age, death rates has accelerated to 50 per 100,000 women. Death rates also increased with age at treatment.

The researchers do, however, want to reassure patients that "after treatment for CIN3 […] they are well protected from cervical cancer". They say only a minority of those treated will develop cancer and die from the disease and add that women treated have not only been screened and treated, "but can also be assumed to have been followed up more closely (at least for a time) than other women of the same age" and are easily identifiable.

The researchers conclude that the treatment for CIN3 is very beneficial for women with this diagnosis. However the risk of developing cervical or vaginal cancer and of dying from one of these cancers among women previously treated for CIN3 is strongly increased after the age of 60 and 70 respectively, compared to the general female population. They also found that treatment later in life increased this risk and recommend that women "previously treated for CIN3 should be followed up in old age".

In an accompanying editorial, Dr Arbyn from the Unit of Cancer Epidemiology in Brussels says we need to find out why cervical cancer risk increases with age and looks worse for women treated more recently. He says that precancerous lesions which are not clearly visible at colposcopy are more common in older than younger women and that "age-specific immunity may contribute to the ultimate cure of cervical precancer".

He says it is worrying that the study found that women who received treatment more recently were at greater risk of developing cervical and vaginal cancer and that the use of less aggressive treatments and the decreased use of hysterectomy may explain the increase in cervical cancer after treatment of CIN3 observed in recent years in Sweden.

He concludes that research is needed to identify markers that predict a woman's future risk of cancer and that "measures should be taken to assure full compliance with follow-up after treatment of cervical precancer".

### Research: Effect of ageing on cervical or vaginal cancer in Swedish women previously treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3: population-based cohort study of long term incidence and mortality

Editorial: Long term outcomes for women treated for cervical precancer


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study indicates the potential of new tests in long-term diabetes complications

2014-01-15
Study indicates the potential of new tests in long-term diabetes complications Monitoring glucose levels is imperative for diabetes patients, but for some the standard Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test is not valid. Researchers from Johns ...

Vanderbilt study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism

2014-01-15
Vanderbilt study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism Like watching a foreign movie that was badly dubbed, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their ...

Screening helps prevent cervical cancer in older women

2014-01-15
Screening helps prevent cervical cancer in older women New research from Queen Mary University of London reveals women over the age of 50 who don't attend cervical screening are four times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer in later ...

World's tiniest drug cabinets could be attached to cancerous cells for long term treatment

2014-01-15
World's tiniest drug cabinets could be attached to cancerous cells for long term treatment Novel method for slow release drugs As if being sick weren't bad enough, there's also the fear of frequent injections, side effects and overdosing on you medication. Now a team of ...

Microbes swap for tiny goods in minuscule markets, researchers find

2014-01-15
Microbes swap for tiny goods in minuscule markets, researchers find A closer look at microbes reveals there is big business going on in their very small world, and sometimes we are part of the transaction. An international team of researchers, including ...

NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Colin coming 'unwound'

2014-01-15
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Colin coming 'unwound' Tropical Cyclone Colin is not as tightly wrapped as it was a day ago. Satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites show Colin is not as organized as it was, and most of the strongest precipitation was occurring ...

New patent mapping system helps find innovation pathways

2014-01-15
New patent mapping system helps find innovation pathways What's likely to be the "next big thing?" What might be the most fertile areas for innovation? Where should countries and companies invest their limited research funds? What technology areas are a company's ...

Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change

2014-01-15
Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: It is still 5 minutes to midnight and much too close to doomsday The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists today called on the ...

Bacterial 'syringe' necessary for marine animal development

2014-01-15
Bacterial 'syringe' necessary for marine animal development If you've ever slipped on a slimy wet rock at the beach, you have bacteria to thank. Those bacteria, nestled in a supportive extracellular matrix, form bacterial biofilms—often slimy substances ...

Researchers identify key components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles

2014-01-15
Researchers identify key components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles CINCINNATI—Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have identified key molecular components linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York announces new investigators for immune system research to improve human health

New research suggests White Americans in areas with higher Black poverty are more likely to blame racial inequality on lack of effort

Solar wave squeezed Jupiter’s magnetic shield to unleash heat

Cognitive decline comes sooner for people with heart failure

SMEs’ ability to innovate is strongly tied to the learning and decision-making skills of managers

Researchers recycle wind turbine blade materials to make improved plastics

Low neighborhood walkability is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Common phrases, not fancy words, make you sound more fluent in a foreign language

Printed skin to replace animal testing

Precision medicine could be possible in the fight against antibiotic resistance

Researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University identify new targeted approach to protect neurons against degeneration

Western diet causes inflammation, traditional African food protects

Electrochemical method supports nitrogen circular economy

How researchers are shining a light on kidney disease

Some gut bacteria could make certain drugs less effective

PEPITEM sequence shows effects in psoriasis, comparable to steroid cream

Older teens who start vaping post-high school risk rapid progress to frequent use

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

[Press-News.org] Researchers suggest risk of cervical or vaginal cancer higher in women previously treated for pre-cancerous cells on cervix
But researchers say that the overall risk is still low