The following is a summary of “Uterine cancer incidence trends and 5-year relative survival by race/ethnicity and histology among women under 50 years,” published in the November 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology by Wijayabahu et al.     

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess incidence trends and 5-year relative survival rates among women under 50 with uterine cancer, stratified by race, ethnicity, and histologic subtype.  

They included microscopically confirmed uterine cancer cases (aged 20–49 years) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (2000–2019) to calculate age-adjusted incidence and 5-year relative survival rates with 95% CIs, comparing periods (2000–2009 vs. 2010–2019). Incidence rates were corrected for hysterectomy prevalence using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, and trends were analyzed with Joinpoint regression.  

The results showed an increase in uterine cancer incidence from 10.1 to 12.0 per 100,000 (2000–2009 to 2010–2019), with an annual growth of 1.7% over the entire period. Rates rose faster in women under 40 years (3.0%/year for ages 20–29; 3.3%/year for ages 30–39) than in those 40–49 years (1.3%/year). Among racial and ethnic groups, incidence increased most in Hispanic (2.8%/year), non-Hispanic Black (2.7%/year), and non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%/year) women, with slower increases in non-Hispanic White women (0.9%/year). Endometrioid cancers had the highest recent incidence (9.6 per 100,000), with growth at 1.9%/year. Endometrioid and nonendometrioid rates were highest in non-Hispanic Native American/Alaska Native women (15.2 and 1.4 per 100,000, respectively). In contrast, sarcoma rates were highest in non-Hispanic Black women (1.8 per 100,000), 5-year relative survival remained stable for endometrioid (93.4% to 93.9%, P≥.05) and nonendometrioid subtypes (73.2% in both periods, P≥.05). Still, it declined for sarcoma from 69.8% to 66.4% (P<.05).  

They concluded that uterine cancer incidence has increased, with stable survival rates overall but declining survival for sarcomas, underscoring the need for early detection and preventive strategies in this age group.  

Source: ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)00694-X/abstract