A study on unhealthy cervix and its risk factors among currently married women of reproductive age group attending an urban health centre of Kolkata

Abstract

Background: Cancer of cervix is the third most common cancer in women in India accounting for 21.7% of cancer deaths among women. Unhealthy cervix, characterized by presence of any abnormal growth, ulcer, or vasculature, is a clinically detectable early stage in the life history of cervical cancer. Very few studies have been conducted to determine risk factors of unhealthy cervix.Methods: A clinic-based cross-sectional study was conducted among currently married women of reproductive age group attending Urban Health Unit and Training Centre, Chetla, Kolkata. A total of 189 women attending the clinic was selected using systematic random sampling method was who were interviewed and examined using pre-designed pre-tested schedule. Analysis was done using (SPSS version 16).Results: Among 189 women, 45.5% were diagnosed with unhealthy cervix. Hierarchical logistic regression showed that educational status, PCI, frequency of cleaning external genitalia and extramarital relationship of the spouse were significantly associated with unhealthy cervical condition.Conclusions: Most of the risk factors of unhealthy cervix are behavioral and modifiable. Health education and behaviour change communication of women of reproductive age group would help in reducing their morbidity as well as mortality from cervix related conditions that includes cervical cancer.

Expression of Ki-67 in premalignant and malignant lesion of cervix in tertiary care hospital in Uttar Pradesh

“…In the study that included only cases of low and high squamous epithelial lesions reported Ki-67 expression in all the cases but reported higher scores (2+/3+) in only 32.3% of cases. 33 In another study Ki-67 expression in all the premalignant as well as malignant cases was moderate to high expression was seen in 70% of cases. In other studies, too, majority of CIN and carcinoma cases have been shown to have a positive Ki-67 expression.…”

“…The natural history of cervical cancer represents a stepwise-progression from a histologically normal to frank invasive cancer. 5 Cervical cancer is considered to be a multifactorial disease involving socioeconomics, cultural, immunological and epigenetic factors, as well as persistent human papilloma virus (HPV) infection presence of factors like smoking, high parity, inflammation and other inducing factors like heavy viral load and presence of specific viral variants (HPV type 16,18,31,33,45, 58 and others) result in progression to higher grades and cervical intraepithelial neoplastic Department of Pathology, Hind Institute of Medical Sciences, Mau, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, India conditions which eventually progress to the invasive form of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a progressive disease which if identified at early stages of development could be prevented successfully from advancement and progression to more invasive stages.…”