[Survey of screening for uterine cervical cancer in Wakayama city (author's transl)].
3,261 women participated in a questionnaire concerning screening for uterine cervical cancer with the following results: 1. 6.3% reported undergoing cervical cancer screening at intervals of one year or less, and 9.0% at intervals of two years or less, 22% reported having had a screening test at least once. 2. According to age group, 14.7% of women in their fifties had undergone screening; 11.3% in the forties; 10.1% in the thirties, while a sharp decrease to 2.9% was noted for women in their sixties. 3. Among those who had not been screened, an average of about 49% stated their willingness to do so. 60% of those in the age group between 30 and 59 were willing to be screened as compared to only 28% of those over 60. 4. Reasons given for not participating in the screening were as follows: Too busy 34.1%, Bashfulness 23.1%, Fear 13.9%, Overconfidence 15.5%, Old age 2.3% Reasons given differed from the younger group versus those over 60. Between 1979-1980, 4,258 women were screened at Wakayama Rosai Hospital with the following findings: In 0.73% carcinoma in situ, early invasive carcinoma (Stage Ia) was found. In 0.28% Stage Ib-II was found. In 0.19% Stage III-IV was present. In those women having carcinoma over 60 years of age, Stage III-IV was found in 57.9%. We conclude that there is an urgent need to increase the percentage of women undergoing cancer screening in Wakayama. An all-out effort to develop an awareness in women of all age groups of the importance of cancer screening and the promotion of mass screening are called for.
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*