title: Clinical audit of patients with cervical cancer in Slovenia. Data analysis from 2003-2006.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  From 2003 to 2006 the data on Slovenian cervical cancer patients who regularly attended a gynecologist were gathered. Data were analyzed in order to improve the efficiency of the cervical cancer screening program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on all patients newly diagnosed with cervical cancer were collected at three central clinics in Slovenia. The results are a presentation and comparison of detailed information on some characteristics of cervical cancer patients of the group that regularly visited a gynecologist and of the other group who did not. Data were processed by descriptive epidemiological methods. Mantel-Haenzel chi2 and Fisher's p tests were used to evaluate statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, 55% of patients with cervical cancer underwent a gynecological examination five years before the diagnosis. The patients who regularly attended their gynecologist were, in all age groups, statistically significantly younger, the stage of cervical cancer at diagnosis was statistically significantly lower (p = 0.01) and were, in statistically significantly higher percentage, treated surgically (p < 0.01). From 2003 to 2006, each patient had on average five examinations at her gynecologist within the period of five years to six months before the diagnosis of cervical cancer. The average number of collected smear samples was 3.2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the results of our analysis, it may be concluded that improvements are needed in Slovenia in the field of screening for and early detection of cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia. mvrscaj@onko-i.si
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ursic-Vrscaj
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rakar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mozina
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takac
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bebar
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Subic
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodric
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smrkolj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017524:Slovenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data