Patient and disease characteristics associated with late tumour stage at presentation of cervical cancer in northwestern Tanzania

• Published in: BMC women's health Vol. 16; no. 5; p. 5
• Main Authors: Mlange, Ramadhani, Matovelo, Dismas, Rambau, Peter, Kidenya, Benson
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 25.01.2016; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cancer; Care and treatment; Cervical cancer; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diagnosis; Early Diagnosis; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging - statistics & numerical data; Rectovaginal Fistula - complications; Syndrome; Tanzania; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - complications; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - diagnosis; Vesicovaginal Fistula - complications; Womens health; Tanzania
• ISSN: 1472-6874; 1472-6874
• DOI: 10.1186/s12905-016-0285-7

About two thirds of patients with cervical cancer in Tanzania present with advanced tumor stage, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. We designed a study to determine the factors associated with the late tumour stage at presentation among patients with cervical cancer in Mwanza. This cross-sectional study recruited women at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) with histologically confirmed cervical cancer from November 2013 to April 2014. Patients were recruited serially until the sample size was reached. A total of 202 women with histologically confirmed cervical cancer were recruited. The mean age of the patients was 50.5 ± 13.3 years. The majority of patients (n = 129, 63.9%) were diagnosed with late stage disease (IIB-IVB). Patients also presented with severe anemia (n = 78, 38.6%), urinary tract infections (n = 74, 36.6%), hydronephrosis (n = 43, 21.2%), elevated serum creatinine levels (n = 33, 16.3%), vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), (n = 13, 6.4%), lung metastasis (n = 5, 2.4%), metastasis to the urinary bladder (n = 4, 1.9%), rectovaginal fistula (RVF) (n = 3, 1.4%), liver metastasis (n = 2, 0.9%) and hydroureter (n = 2, 0.9%). In multivariate logistic regression, factors associated with late stage at presentation were attending to alternative health practitioners and lack of personal initiative to seek care to formal health facilities (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.2-4.2, p = 0.011 and OR 2.0; 95 % CI 1.0-3.8, p = 0.028) respectively. Communities should be sensitized to women's empowerment, provide community education on early symptoms of cervical cancer, and the importance of early hospital attendance.