Malignant Tumours of the Corpus Uteri in Nigerian Women

Abstract

A review of cases of malignant tumours of the corpus uteri in Nigerian women seen over a 38-year period revealed that this group of tumours constitute 4.9 per cent of all female genital malignancies. The ration of corpus to cervical tumours increased from 1:1.52 during the first decade of the period of study to 1:9.2 during the third and to 1:10.9 in the fourth decade. Carcinomas accounted for 70.6 per cent of all corpus malignancies, pure sarcomas for 20.4 per cent and mixed mesodermal tumours (MMT) for 6.9 per cent. At the time of the diagnosis, the mean age of patients with squamous cell carcinoma was lower than those of patients with adenocarcinoma. Clinicians in this sub-region should be alert to the presentation of symptoms of these tumours, particularly in perimenopausal and menopausal women, in view of their rising relative frequency in the community.

(Afr J Reprod Health 1999; 3[1]: 81 - 87)

Key Words: Corpus uteri, tumours, carcinoma, sarcoma, ration frequency