Systematic Review on Socioeconomic Deprivation and Cervical Cancer: Inequalities in Survival

Purpose. To evaluate the association between socioeconomic deprivation and survival in cervical cancer. Methods. A systematic search of Medline (1946- 2020), Embase (1980- 2020), Cinahl (1981- 2020) and the Cochrane Controlled Register of trials was performed. Included were women (age >= 18 years) diagnosed with primary cervical cancer. Two reviewers independently selected studies and assessed bias using the Newcastle -Ottawa assessment scale. Data extraction was completed using pre-determined forms, and summary tables of evidences were created. Results. Eight studies were included with a total number of at least 38,811 patients, with one study not reporting number of patients included. All eight studies showed that socioeconomic deprivation is associated with poorer survival in cervical cancer patients, with five studies confirming this association in multivariate analysis. Conclusion. Socioeconomic deprivation seems to be associated with poor survival in cervical cancer, however the impact of confounders such as smoking and obesity is unclear.