Gynecologic malignancies in women aged less than 25 years.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of gynecologic malignancies in patients 25 years of age or younger.


METHODS
The Automated Central Tumor Registry (ACTUR), the cancer registry for the Department of Defense, was used to identify children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with gynecologic malignancies. Specifically, primary ovarian, uterine, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar malignancies diagnosed between 1990 and 2002 were included in the analysis. Data from the Department of Defense tumor registry were then compared with results obtained from the national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Report (SEER) program database.


RESULTS
Two hundred fifty-one cases were identified in the Department of Defense tumor registry. The most common primary site was ovary, with 116 cases (46%), followed by cervix, with 108 cases (43%). The most common histological types were germ cell (35%) for ovary, squamous cell (52%) for cervix, choriocarcinoma (18%) for uterus, and squamous cell (30%) for vulva/vagina. The 21- to 25-year-old age group had the greatest number of cases for the entire cohort (23%). Most patients had only local disease at time of diagnosis, and the 5-year survival percentage was 86% (95% confidence interval 80-91) for all patients with ovarian and cervical carcinoma. Data from the SEER program demonstrated a similar distribution and incidence pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
The ovary and cervix are the most common primary sites of gynecologic malignancies in patients 25 years of age or younger. Health maintenance programs for patients in this age group should continue to include pelvic exams and Pap test screening.
You
Whitney
W
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA.
Dainty
Louis A
LA
Rose
G Scott
GS
Krivak
Thomas
T
McHale
Michael T
MT
Olsen
Cara H
CH
Elkas
John C
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000453:epidemiology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D014625:Vaginal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology