Challenges associated with the management of gynecological cancers in a tertiary hospital in South East Nigeria

Figures & data

Table 1 Distribution of gynecological cancers based on characteristics of patients

Characteristic	Frequency of gynecological cancer (n=200)	Percentage
Age (years)
10–20	5	2.5
21–30	11	5.5
31–40	16	8.0
41–50	40	20.0
51–60	47	23.5
61–70	49	24.5
71–80	22	11
Parity
0	27	13.5
1–4	96	48.0
≥5	67	33.5
Marital status
Single	21	10.5
Married	109	54.5
Widowed	60	30.0
Religion
Christianity	184	92.0
Islam	5	2.5
Traditional religion	1	0.5
Christian denomination
Roman Catholic	78	39.0
Anglican	47	23.5
Pentecostal	53	26.5
Others	8	4.0
Ethnic group
Igbo	178	89.0
Non-Igbo	12	6.0
Occupation
Unemployed	71	35.5
Farmer	40	20.0
Civil servant	21	10.5
Trader	35	17.5
Teacher	5	2.5
Nurse	2	1.0
Student	16	8.0
Menstrual status
Premenopausal	57	28.5
Post-menopausal	133	66.5

Table 2 Clinicopathological features of cervical and ovarian cancers seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, from 2000 to 2010

Type of cancer	Clinical/pathological features		Cases (n)	Percentage
Cervical (n=106)	Presenting symptoms	Post-menopausal bleeding	105	99.1
		Foul-smelling vaginal discharge	70	66.0
		Post-coital bleeding	33	31.1
	Stage of disease	1	1	0.9
		2	5	4.7
		3	61	57.5
		4	39	36.8
	Histological type	Squamous carcinoma	101	95.3
		Adenocarcinoma	5	4.7
Ovarian (n=50)	Presenting symptoms	Abdominal mass	32	64
		Abdominal pains and discomfort	26	52
		Weight loss	6	12
	Stage of disease at presentation	1	0	0
		2	4	8
		3	32	64
		4	14	28
	Histological type	Subtype
	Epithelial tumors	Serous cystadenocarcinoma	18	36
		Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma	12	24
		Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma	4	8
	Sex cord stromal tumors	Granulosa cell tumor	4	8
		Poorly differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor	2	4
		Invasive alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma	2	4
	Germ cell tumors	Malignant teratoma	4	8
		Dysgerminoma	2	4
		Endodermal sinus tumor	2	4

Table 3 Clinicopathological features of corpus uteri, vulvar, and vaginal cancers seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, from 2000 to 2010

Cancer type			Number	Percentage
Corpus uteri cancer (n=33)	Presenting symptoms	Vaginal bleeding	29	87.9
		Lower abdominal mass	6	18.1
		Lower abdominal pains	14	42.4
	Stage of disease	1	3	8.7
		2	23	69.6
		3	6	21.7
		4	1	3
	Histological type	Endometrial carcinoma	19	57.6
		Choriocarcinoma	10	30.3
		Leiomyosarcoma	4	12.1
Vulvar (n=10)	Presenting symptoms	Vulvar ulcer	8	80
		Vulvar itching	2	20
		Vulvar bleeding	6	60
	Stage of disease	1	2	20
		2	3	30
		3	4	40
		4	1	10
	Histological type	Squamous carcinoma	10	100