Cervical cancer in Indian rural women: Trends over two decades

Abstract

Worldwide, cervical cancer is considered to be the second commonest cancer as far as mortality and incidence is concerned and India contributes to about 20–30% of the global burden. This paper is based on analysis of records of persons suffering from various cancers over 25 years. Cervical cancer constituted 14.4% of all cancers of men and women put together, 28.8% of the cancers in women and 73.3% of all gynaecological cancer. The cases studied were divided into five Blocks: Block A 1983–1987; Block B 1988–1992; Block C 1993–1997; Block D 1998–2002 and Block E 2003–2007. A 2.34 times increase in cancer cases from Block A to Block E was seen; in women, overall cancer increased by 3.21 times; gynaecological cancer by 3.08 times; cervical cancer 2.91 and ovarian cancer 7.1 times. Cervical cancer in outpatients increased from 0.55% among all gynaecological cases in 1983, to 3.5% in 2007. Cervical cancer comprised of 1.05% of the newly registered outpatients and 70.09% of gynaecological cancer cases. Inpatient gynaecological cancer increased from 2.81% in 1983 to 9.81% in 2007. Out of all cervical cancer in women, cervical cancer was 34.7% in Block A (1983–1987) and 28.6 % in Block E (2003–2007). Of the cervical cancer cases, 43.8% belonged to the age group 30–49 years and 37.6% at 50–64 years. Cervical cancer in women with less than three births increased from 13.1% in Block A to 33.1% in Block E. The proportion of illiterate women or those with primary education was seven times more compared with those with secondary education. Our study revealed that cervical cancer still continues to rank first. Also the overall number of cancer cases has been increasing.

Downstaging of carcinoma cervix: yet to reach the unreached

“…18 Chhabra et al found an increase in cervical cancer among outpatients from 0.55% in 1983 to 3.5% in 2007. 19 But over the years from 1983-1987 to 2003-2007 there was a fall in the percentage of all cervical cancers from 43.8% to 37.6%. On the other hand, in Odisha, cancer cervix was the second most common cancer, with an increase of 3.1% from 2001 to 2011.…”

Cervical Cancer Preventable, Treatable, but Continues to Kill Women

“…Of all cases of cervical cancer in the world, 85% occur in developing countries, and of all the deaths which occur due to cervical cancer in the world 88% are in developing countries [5][6][7]. In one of our earlier studies, cervical cancer constituted 29% of all cancers in women and others also report similar figures [8]. Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths in women [9].…”

Vaginal Cancer Trends in Women of Low Resources Settings

“…Cervical cancer is rampant here but not vaginal. Our earlier study had revealed that 73.3% of all gynecological cancer cases were cervical with an increase in cervical cancer cases, over the years [13], but only 30 cases of primary vaginal cancer were diagnosed in 3 decades. Dhakal [14] has reported 2.7% vaginal cancer and 85.23% cervical amongst all gynecological cancers.…”