Cervical Cancer Epidemiology in Friuli Venezia Giulia

Incidence of Invasive Cervical Cancer and Direct Costs Associated with its Management in Italy

Aim and background

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in European women aged 15–44 years. The aim of this study was to estimate the direct cost of managing invasive cervical cancer in Italy.

Methods

Data from the Italian Network of Cancer Registries were used to estimate the annual number of new cervical cancer cases. To assess the management costs, a typical management pathway for each FIGO (Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique) cervical cancer stage was derived from published guidelines. Data from the Modena Cancer Registry were used to estimate the proportion of patients by FIGO stage. This algorithm was combined with tariffs for outpatient and inpatient procedures to obtain a mean cost for each FIGO stage.

Results

An estimated 2,927 new cases of cervical cancer occurred in Italy in 2005 (crude incidence 9.7/100,000; world age-standardized incidence 6.0/100,000). The estimated numbers of new cases by FIGO stage were: FIGO I, 1,927; FIGO II, 556; FIGO III, 259; and FIGO IV, 185. Costs for the most frequent procedures were estimated as: € 6,041 for radical hysterectomy or other surgery; € 4,901 for radio-chemotherapy; € 1,588 for brachytherapy; and € 3,795 for palliative chemotherapy. Mean management costs for incident cases (including 10 years of follow-up) were estimated at: FIGO I, € 6,024; FIGO II, € 10,572; FIGO III, € 11,367; FIGO IV, € 8707; and € 5,854 for the terminal phase (1 month). The total direct management cost was estimated at € 28.3 million per year.

Conclusions

This is one of the first studies to estimate the direct cost of treating patients newly diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer in Italy. Although according to current management pathways real treatment costs are likely to be underestimated, this information is necessary to design evidence-based vaccination policies able to harmonize primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer.

Cancer prevention and population-based screening

Cancer prevention, screening and early detection can provide some of the greatest public health benefits for cancer control. In low resource settings, where cancer control is challenged by limited human, financial and technical resources, cancer prevention and screening are of utmost importance and can provide significant impacts on the cancer burden. Public policies, social, environmental and individual level interventions which promote and support healthy eating and physical activity can lower cancer risks. Tobacco use, a significant cancer risk factor, can be reduced through the application of key mandates of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In addition, cancer screening programs, namely for cervical and breast cancers, can have a significant impact on reducing cancer mortality, including in low resource settings. Comprehensive cancer control programs require interventions for cancer prevention, screening and early detection, and involve sectors outside of health to create supportive environments for healthy ways of life. Sharing experiences in implementing cancer control programs in different settings can create opportunities for interchanging ideas and forming international alliances.

Screening history of women with invasive cervical cancer in north-east Italy

OBJECTIVES

To describe screening histories of women with invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in Friuli Venezia Giulia, after the introduction of organized screening, in order to identify possible reasons undermining prevention of ICC. To investigate associations between screening histories in relation to women's survival and tumor characteristics, with a focus on organized and opportunistic screenings.

STUDY DESIGN

438 women, diagnosed with ICC between 1999 and 2005, were identified using the regional Cancer Registry. Cytological and histopathological information were obtained through regional health databases. Associations between different screening histories and characteristics of women and their tumors were evaluated by means of odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI), through multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for age; death risks were estimated by computing hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CI, using Cox models adjusted for age, tumor stage, and histology.

RESULTS

165 (38%) women with ICC had no Pap smears: 71 (16%) never attended the organized screening despite invitation; 69 (16%) were never invited because they were above 64 years of age; and 25 (6%) were yet to be invited. Conversely, 273 (62%) women underwent screening: 141 women (32%) had opportunistic screening; 132 (30%) women attended the organized program. A total of 193 (44%) women had ICC detected at screening. Compared to women with ICC who had never been screened, those screened within the organized program were more often at stage IA (46%), were seldom at stage II or higher (OR=0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.6, vs. IB), and showed a lower risk of death (HR=0.6, 95% CI: 0.3-1.0).

CONCLUSIONS

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the lack of screening among older women and of compliance with organized programs among women in the target population are the main limitations in cervical cancer secondary prevention. Our findings indicate that participation in organized screening has a beneficial effect in terms of down-staging and improved survival as compared to both absence of screening and opportunistic screening.