¹School of Medicine, College of Health & Medicine, King Ceasor University, Bunga Hill, Kampala, Uganda

²School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

*Corresponding author: Mwanja Moses, School of Medicine, College of Health & Medicine, King Ceasor University, Bunga Hill, P. O. Box 88, Kampala, Uganda; Tel: +256 756575899; Email: [email protected]

Received Date: August 24, 2023

Publication Date: September 11, 2023

Citation: Moses M, et al. (2023). Histopathological Patterns of Cervical Cancer among Females Presenting to a Pathology Core Reference Laboratory in Kampala, Uganda: A 5-Year Review. Mathews J Cancer Sci. 8(3):43.

Copyright: Moses M, et al. © (2023)

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Cervical cancer ranks fourth in global female cancer cases, with about 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths in 2020. It's most prevalent in low- and middle- income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related sickness and death, with approximately 6,959 new cases and 4,607 deaths in 2020. Understanding the histopathological types of cervical cancer is crucial for treatment and prognosis, but there's limited data in Uganda. This study aimed to identify cervical cancer histopathology patterns in females at Makerere University's pathology reference laboratory. Methodology: A retrospective cross-sectional study at Makerere University's pathology reference laboratory collected quantitative data on cervical cancer diagnoses via histology from 2017 to 2021. Data analysis was descriptive, utilizing SPSS version 21. Results: The study included 120 patients spanning from 2017 to 2021, with an average age of 45.53 (SD 13.02) years, ranging from 21 to 80 years. Cervical cancer was most common among women aged 35 to 54 years (67 or 55.8%) and those with HIV infection (26 or 21.7%). Squamous cell carcinoma was the predominant cervical cancer type, observed in 102 cases (85%), followed by adenocarcinoma (7 cases or 5.8%) and adenosquamous (5 cases or 4.2%) histological patterns. Conclusions: Cervical cancer is most common in HIV-positive women and those aged 35-55. Squamous cell carcinoma is the prevailing type, affecting 9 out of 10 patients. Screening all HIV-positive and women aged 35+ is advised.

Keywords: Cervical cancer, Histopathological patterns, Uganda