A Study of Some Aetiological Factors in 41 Cases Of Cancer Of The Cervix Uteri In Zaria

Abstract

A prospective study of some aetiological factors in 41 patients with histologically confirmed cancer of the cervix seen in Zaria. Questionnaires were administered to all the patients seeking the following information - age, menarche, age at first marriage, whether polygamous or monogamous, parity, circumcision in husband/partner and smoking habit. Histological classification was attempted using mucin and routine stains.



The age range was 27 to 72 years with an average of 49.4 years. All the women were married except for one widow, all their spouses were circumcised and there were only three smokers. Twenty four were from a polygamous home. The average age of first marriage was 14 years. They had a mean number of 7.2 children and were married for an average of 1.9 times.



Our findings confirm similar observations by workers from Ibadan, Zaria, and Tanzania, but circumcision and smoking in our patients do not appear to play a similar role as in patients from developed countries.

Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 9, No. 2 (June 1999) pp. 87-89