PRE- CANCEROUS & CANCEROUS LESIONS OF THE CERVIX The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said. — Peter Drucker
Objectives Describe the situation of cervical cancer in Kenya Document the screening methods of cervical cancer Describe the pathophysiology of cervical cancer State the signs and symptoms of cancer of the cervix Discuss the diagnosis, management and complications of cancer of the cervix
In Kenya (Nairobi cancer registry): ➢ Commonest reproductive tract cancers in females are cervix (23%) & breast (20%)
➢ In males prostate (24%) followed by breast cancer
Globally, a WHO database indicates that:
➢ Every year 2,354 women in Kenya aged 15-65 develop cervical cancer (Ca cervix)
➢ About 65% (1,524) of these women die from the disease
➢ Estimated standardized incidence for cervical cancer in Kenya is 36.56 per 100,000 women
or nearly 3,000 women per year Many of these common cancers a public health concern because they
• are potentially preventable through primary prevention
• can be detected early & treated
The incidence of cervical cancer in Kenya, like other developing countries markedly high due to:
➢ relative lack of effective screening programs
➢ lack of treatment facilities for pre-cancerous & early cancerous conditions
➢ lack of awareness among women & communities about the disease, prevention, & need for
screening Therefore, o Less than 1% of women screened for cervical neoplasms every five years
o Mean age for cervical cancer patients at diagnosis is 49.4 years (range of 24-80 years)
o More than 88% of at stages III – IV at time of diagnosis hence the high mortality rate
