title: Clinicopathological analysis of cervical cancer seen in a tertiary health facility in Nnewi, south-east Nigeria.
abstract: Cervical cancer remains the commonest gynaecological cancer among women in the developing countries. The records of all the histologically confirmed cervical cancer patients managed in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, over a 5 year period were analysed for the clinical presentation and histological pattern of the malignancy. A total of 75 cases of cervical cancer were managed over the period giving an incidence of 65.2% of all gynaecological cancers and 13.4% of all gynaecological admissions. The majority of the patients were grandmultiparous women (81.3%) with a mean parity of 6.8. The modal age range was 60-69 years (38.7%) and the majority (94.7%) of the patients belonged to the low socioeconomic class. Squamous cell carcinoma of varying differentiation (89.3%) was the commonest histological type seen and adenocarcinoma accounted for only 8.0%. The common clinical features were post-menopausal bleeding (84.0%), vaginal discharge (72.0%), contact bleeding (63.9%) and abdominal pain (56.2%). Most (89.3%) of the patients presented late, in advanced stages of the disease, and almost all (97.3%) were referred for radiotherapy. The incidence of cervical cancer is high in our environment. Community sensitisation and provision of free cervical screening is recommended for early detection and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria. jikechebelu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ikechebelu
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Onyiaorah
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ugboaja
authors.forename: D C D
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Anyiam
authors.forename: G U
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Eleje
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology