title: Late presentation of patients with cervical cancer to a tertiary hospital in Lagos: what is responsible?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the factors contributing to late presentation of patients with cervical cancer to a tertiary hospital in Lagos.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervical cancer patients who attended the hospital between September 2000 and December 2001 were interviewed to determine the healthcare facilities visited at the onset of symptoms and time interval between presentation and referral.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 127 patients with a mean age of 54.6 +/- 13.4 years. Common symptoms at onset of disease were post-menopausal bleeding (55.9%) and vaginal discharge (48.8%). Of the patients, 60.7.1% first went to private hospitals. The interval between onset of symptoms and seeking healthcare was 6.10 +/- 9.31 months; time elapsing between seeking healthcare and referral to a tertiary hospital was 9.35 +/- 12.9 months. Stage 3A cervical cancer was diagnosed in 71.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients' delay in seeking healthcare and care providers' delay in referring patients to a tertiary hospital contributed to the late presentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Surulere-Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Anorlu
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Orakwue
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oyeneyin
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Abudu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014850:Waiting Lists; D016387:Women's Health