Risk for Anal Cancer Elevated Among Women With History of Cervical Cancer

TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- The overall standardized incidence ratio for anal cancer is elevated among women with a history of cervical cancer, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in JAMA Network Open.Haluk Damgacioglu, Ph.D., from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and colleagues followed women with cervical cancer to estimate anal cancer incidence by age and time since cervical cancer diagnosis. Using data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-8 registries (1975 to 1999) and SEER-17 registries (2000 to 2021), the analysis included 85,524 women diagnosed with cervical cancer, with a follow-up of 822,630 person-years.The researchers found that the incidence of anal cancer was 7.8 cases per 100,000 person-years overall, differing across age groups and time since cervical cancer diagnosis. The incidence rate was 2.4, 4.6, and 10.0 for women aged younger than 45 years, 45 to 54 years, and 55 to 64 years with a history of cervical cancer, respectively. Women aged 65 to 74 years had the highest incidence rate at 17.6, while those aged 75 years or older had an incidence rate of 10.0. The incidence of anal cancer varied with time since diagnosis of cervical cancer, at 5.8, 5.1, 12.7, and 16.1 in the first five years, after five to 10 years, at 10 to 15 years, and at ≥20 years, respectively. Among women aged 65 to 74 years, 59 percent of anal cancer cases occurred more than 15 years after cervical cancer diagnosis. Anal cancer had an overall standardized incidence ratio of 1.9, with elevated risks persisting over time (2.5 and 2.4 after 15 to 20 years and ≥20 years, respectively)."These results tell us that women who had cervical cancer years ago should be considered for routine anal cancer screening," Damgacioglu said in a statement. "Right now, that's not happening."One author disclosed ties to Value Analytics Labs.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Risk for Anal Cancer Elevated Among Women With History of Cervical Cancer

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