Late presentation of patients with cervical cancer to a tertiary hospital in Lagos: what is responsible?

Objectives: To determine the factors contributing to late presentation of patients with cervical cancer to a tertiary hospital in Lagos.

Methods: Cervical cancer patients who attended the hospital between September 2000 and December 2001 were interviewed to determine the healthcare facilities visited at the onset of symptoms and time interval between presentation and referral.

Results: There were 127 patients with a mean age of 54.6 +/- 13.4 years. Common symptoms at onset of disease were post-menopausal bleeding (55.9%) and vaginal discharge (48.8%). Of the patients, 60.7.1% first went to private hospitals. The interval between onset of symptoms and seeking healthcare was 6.10 +/- 9.31 months; time elapsing between seeking healthcare and referral to a tertiary hospital was 9.35 +/- 12.9 months. Stage 3A cervical cancer was diagnosed in 71.8%.

Conclusion: Patients' delay in seeking healthcare and care providers' delay in referring patients to a tertiary hospital contributed to the late presentation.

Cervical cancer; Late presentation

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