Cancer of the cervix

Cases of cancer of the cervix histologically diagnosed at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria between January 1991 and December 2000 were reviewed. There was 1,912 total gynaecological admissions during that period and 56 histologically diagnosed cancer of the cervix for an incidence of 2.9%. The mean age at occurrence of the cancer was 51.7 + 12.4 years. It was more common in grandmultiparous women and major presenting complaints were abnormal vaginal bleeding, (64.3%) watery discharge (25.0%) and postcoital bleeding (7.1%). Histologically, 96.4% has squamous cell carcinoma of varying degree of differentiation and most (78.6%) presented in the advanced stages. Majority (80.4) were referred for radiotherapy at either Lagos University Teaching Hospital or University College Hospital, Ibadan. Only 5.4% of cases were treated by radical hysterectomy. Measures to reduce the incidence and morbidity would include mass education of the sexually active women to have cervical smear regularly and also to report symptoms early so as to diagnose the invasive disease in the early stages.