title: Profile and retrospective analysis of the use of preventive strategies in patients with cervical cancer in South-South Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer is the commonest malignancy of the female genital tract in developing countries, with a global burden of 530,000 new cases annually. This study aims to review the current situation of this important malignancy and to assess the previous use of preventive measures in patients with cervical cancer at the Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective review of all cases of cervical cancer managed at the UPTH, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, between 1 January 2008 and 31 December, 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of cervical cancer was 3.53% of all gynaecological admissions. The peak age of incidence was 50-59 years, accounting for 40% of the study population. Women with high parity contributed to 93.3% of the study population. Early coitarche was observed in 78.7% and a history of multiple sexual partners in 65.3%. Vaginal bleeding was the commonest clinical feature seen in all the women studied, followed by pelvic pain in 84% of cases. Advanced-stage cervical cancer was seen in 93.4%. None of the women studied had been previously vaccinated against human papilloma virus (HPV), and only 1.3% had had any form of screening methods for early detection of cervical cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical cancer remains an important cancer in our environment, and late presentation with advance disease is still the norm despite advances in screening and preventive modalities. The reason for this is buttressed on the finding that despite the availability of these preventive strategies, women in the South-South of Nigeria did not partake of these measures. There is an urgent need to develop programmes to re-sensitise women on the need for screening and vaccination to reduce cancer-associated morbidity and mortality in Port Harcourt, South-South Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Bassey
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Nyengidiki T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Onwubuariri
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Michael
keywords: Cervical cancer; human papilloma virus vaccination; papanicolaou smear; port harcourt
references.citation: Carcinogenesis. 2010 Jan;31(1):100-10
references.pmid: 19934210
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Mar 1;98(5):303-15
references.pmid: 16507827
references.citation: Niger J Med. 2004 Apr-Jun;13(2):110-3
references.pmid: 15293826
references.citation: Niger J Clin Pract. 2007 Jun;10(2):143-6
references.pmid: 17902507
references.citation: Clin Interv Aging. 2013;8:783-8
references.pmid: 23836968
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2003;(31):20-8
references.pmid: 12807941
references.citation: Int J Cancer. 2012 Aug 15;131(4):949-55
references.pmid: 21960453
references.citation: Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2004 Feb;84(2):101-8
references.pmid: 14871510
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2013 Jun 14;13:582
references.pmid: 23767681
references.citation: Lancet. 2003 Jun 28;361(9376):2217-25
references.pmid: 12842378
references.citation: Br J Cancer. 2003 Jan 13;88(1):63-73
references.pmid: 12556961
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol. 2012 Oct;36(5):e271-8
references.pmid: 22621842
references.citation: J Med Virol. 2007 Jun;79(6):758-65
references.pmid: 17457908
references.citation: BMC Cancer. 2009 Aug 07;9:275
references.pmid: 19664216
references.citation: AIDS Res Treat. 2012;2012:953743
references.pmid: 22548156
references.citation: Br J Gen Pract. 2006 Jun;56(527):453-60
references.pmid: 16762128