The aim of the study was an analysis of years of life lost due to cervical cancer in Poland in the period 2000 to 2015 with consideration given to differences related to education and place of residence. The study material was 28,274 death certificates of all female inhabitants of Poland, who died in 2000 to 2015 due to cervical cancer. In order to calculate years of life lost, the authors used indices: SEYLLp (Standard Expected Years of Life Lost per living person), SEYLLd (per deaths) and AAPC (Average Annual Percentage Change). The SEYLLp index (per 100,000) due to cervical cancer in Poland decreased from 394.3 in 2000 to 220.9 years of life in 2015 (AAPC = -3.6%). Women with university education lost the smallest number of years of life (SEYLLp = 139.0 in 2000 and 53.7 in 2015; AAPC = -5.4%), whereas those with elementary education had the greatest number of years of life lost (524.2 and 312.8; AAPC = -3.4%). Women living in rural areas lost on average 329.5 years in 2000 and 177.0 in 2015 (AAPC = -3.8%). In city areas, the values were 428.6 and 247.1 (AAPC = -3.4%). Many of the years of life lost could have been avoided by including more women, particularly those with elementary education, in screening examinations.
Keywords: Poland; cervical cancer; epidemiology; mortality; neoplasms; socioeconomic factors; trends; years of life lost.