ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Cancer of the cervix is the most common genital tract malignancy in the female and is a major public health problem in the developing countries. Study of the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients is the first step in planning control measures and treatment facilities. AIMS: The aims of the study were to determine the sociodemographic and clinical profile of cervical cancer patients and study their association with other tumor-related factors. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is a record-based retrospective study from a single institution. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The data on sociodemographic and clinical factors of 765 cervical cancer patients visited and treated at tertiary care cancer hospital in Mumbai in 1 year period were analyzed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square test were used to assess relationship between variables. RESULTS: The median age of the cohort was 54 years and interquartile range was 16 years. Nearly 53.6% of patients were illiterate. About 88.10% of patient's had squamous cell carcinoma. Only 13% of cases had early stage disease and 77% of patient's had not taken any treatment before coming to the hospital. Of the total, about 26% patients also had concomitant comorbidities, of which hypertension was found to be the leading comorbid condition. Stage of disease was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) associated with age and educational status. CONCLUSION: This study highlights certain important baseline characteristics of cervical cancer patients. This basic information on profile of patients can help plan and optimum utilization of hospital services, especially in resource-poor countries like India.
