Cervical cancer: socioeconomic implications of management in a developing nation

This study, which assesses the economic, social and psychological implication of radiotherapy treatment of cervical cancer involved interviews with cervical cancer patients (and their relatives) seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria and subsequently referred for radiotherapy at other centres. Of the 95 cervical cancer patients referred for radiotherapy, only 19% (n = 18) actually underwent the procedure. The remaining 81% (n = 77) did not go due to financial reasons. All the patients that underwent radiotherapy were in the upper social class and spent almost 30% of their annual income on the treatment. The patients and their accompanying relatives encountered economic, emotional and social problems during the radiotherapy treatment because of absence of social health protection. There is a need to enhance institutional capabilities for preventing and treating cervical cancer through personnel training, establishment of special trust funds, regional screening and radiotherapy centres.