The aim of this study was to compare breast and cervical cancer screening rates between female cancer survivors and a population without cancer to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening in cancer survivors.

We included 17,765 adults (738 cancer survivors and 17,027 individuals without cancer) in this study, all of whom who were 30 years of age or older and participated in the Fourth and Fifth Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys from 2007–2012. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening uptake in female cancer survivors.

The screening rate for breast cancer was 56.6%, which was higher than that in the non-cancer control group (P=0.001). The screening rate for cervical cancer was 51.4%, which was not different from that of the non-cancer control group. In terms of breast cancer screening, cancer survivors showed no significant difference in the rate of screening 5 years after their cancer diagnosis. However, cervical cancer survivors were less likely to have cervical cancer screening 10 years after their cancer diagnosis. There was no significant association between cancer screening and sociodemographic factors.

Breast and cervical cancer screening rates in Korean female cancer survivors are low. Secondary primary cancer screening of female cancer survivors needs to be planned in a comprehensive manner, with the consideration of influences beyond sociodemographic factors.

Death from uterine cervical cancer could be preventable by an active participation of women at risk in a screening program such as the Papanicolaou test. In order to examine the presence of socioeconomic disparity in preventable deaths, we evaluated the time trends of cervical cancer mortality by socioeconomic status in Korean women.

We selected level of educational attainment and marital status as surrogate indices of socioeconomic status. Using death certificate data and Korean Population and Housing Census data from Korea National Statistical office, we calculated age-standardized yearly mortality rates from cervical cancer between 1998 and 2009 according to the level of education as well as marital status.

Cervical cancer mortality peaked in 2003 and then decreased gradually over time. Cervical cancer mortality was the highest in the group with the lowest level of educational attainment in all age groups and the gap between the lowest and the highest educational level has increased over time. Cervical cancer mortality was lower in married women than unmarried women in all age groups, and the degree of difference did not change over time.

In the Korean population, socioeconomic differential in cervical cancer mortality has persisted over time.

The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test is an effective screening test for the early detection of uterine cervical cancer. The Pap test still plays an important role in Korean elderly women, as uterine cervical cancer remains a frequent form of cancer and an important cause of death. However, the participation rate and other factors related to the Pap test in Korean elderly women have been studied insufficiently.

This study included 654 individuals aged 65 and over who completed a cervical cancer screening questionnaire from the Third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005. Using multiple logistic regression, odds ratios and confidence intervals for the association between attendance of the Pap test and sociodemographic or health-related factors were calculated.

One hundred and eleven individuals (17.0%) of the study population showed compliance with Pap testing within the previous 2 years. We recognized that the most elderly women (75 years and over) or those with lower levels of education were less likely to have had the test.

Primary health care providers need to make efforts to improve attendance rates of Pap smear screening in Korean elderly women, individually taking into account previous Pap results, life expectancy, risk factors for cervical cancer, and preferences. More attention will especially be needed among the eldest elderly or less educated elderly women.