Abstract
Abstract only
16000
Background: Although the majority of women with EC are postmenopausal, 25% are under the age of 50 years at the time of diagnosis. The aim of this study is to describe the demographic and survival data for women presenting with EC at age 35 years or younger (YOY). Design: Patients with a diagnosis of EC were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer database from 1988 to 2003. Demographic and pathologic data were collected. Chi-square and t-tests were used to examine differences between the younger and older women, and survival analyses were performed using Kaplan Meier and Cox regression models. Results: Of the 61,364 women diagnosed with EC in the study period, 931 patients 1.5% were 35 YOY. Compared to women 36 years of age or older at diagnosis, the young-onset women were more diverse in terms of race/ethnicity (p<0.0001), with white women comprising 48% of the younger population, and 80.4% of the older population. Hispanic 23.7%, black 8.3%, and other race/ethnicities 18.4% were more common in the younger age group. The mean age in the young population was 31.5 years. Mean age at diagnosis was greater for the young whites compared to the other racial groups combined (32.0 years vs. 31.0 years, p<0.0001). Younger women were more likely to be diagnosed in earlier stages and grades compared to their older counterparts (both p<0.0001). The overall stage by AJCC in younger women was 75.4%, 6.6%, 4.1% and 5.2% (stages I-IV, respectively), with 8.7% unstaged. In the younger women, 54.6%, 26.3%, and 9.5% of grade 1, 2, and 3 tumors were reported, respectively. Type II tumors comprised 4% (N=36) of the study population. The overall mean survival was significantly better for younger (75.4 months, 95% CI 71.8–79.0) compared to older women (66.6 months, 95% CI 66.2–67.0). The survival difference was seen for every AJCC stage of disease. Conclusions: The changing race and ethnicity demographics in the US, coupled with the increase in obesity, suggest that EC incidence may be on the rise in younger women. Early stage, well-differentiated EC represents the most common type of EC in the younger patients. As treatment standards differ for younger women who hope to preserve their fertility, it is important to follow the long-term outcomes in this group.
No significant financial relationships to disclose.