Abstract
Objective: The aim of this paper is to carry out a literature review on the epidemiology of cervical cancer in elderly women and the performance of examination devoted to this gender group. Literature review: In all studies in Brazil and other countries there has been a consensus that cancer is more prevalent in brown, married women, with low level of education and from lower socioeconomic status. The more advanced stages of this disease are related to older age the diagnosis is hampered due to specific anatomical characteristics of this population, to the patterns of behavior, misinformation, and lack of professional training to deal with the elderly population. Final considerations: There are no exact indicators on cervical neoplasia in elderly women due to the difficulties in making the diagnosis and the poor adherence of the elderly women to this exam. However, taking into consideration the increase in longevity associated with greater exposure to risk factors and greater propensity to cancer, it is important to target anamnesis and realization of gynecological examination in this age group.