Results of clinically downstaging cervical cancer in a cytological screening programme

The study was aimed at clinically downstaging cancer of the cervix during a cytological Screening Programme to find out whether such a strategy may help in yielding a large number of early cases of cancer. A cohort of 6,178 women with different cervical lesions were cytologically examined from April 1971 at Queen Mary's Hospital, Lucknow, India. The 8,718 asymptomatic women with healthy cervices were taken as controls. The incidence of cervical dysplasia and malignancy in the study group was found to be 11.2% and 1.9%, which was statistically highly significant compared to control values of 3.3% and 0.02%, respectively. Dysplastic smears were seen maximally in women whose cervix bled to the touch, and the rate of cervical cancer was high in women with suspicious cervix. Dysplastic smears were seen frequently in all age and parity groups, but malignancy was common in women of high age (over 30 years) and high parity (two and above). The incidence of three sexually transmitted diseases, namely Trichomonas vaginalis, Herpes simplex, and condyloma revealed highly significant values, especially in women whose cervix bled to the touch. The study highlights the strategy of clinically downstaging cervical cancer, which is very useful in detecting a large number of dysplasia and frank malignancy cases and also the presence of any associated sexually transmitted pathogens whose treatment would aid in restricting the rising incidence of the dreaded disease in this country. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1998;19:344–348. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Human Papillomavirus types prevalence and their association with cervical dysplasia among HIV and non-HIV infected women attending reproductive health clinics in Eastern Kenya

BackgroundHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) causes over 99% of all cervical cancer globally. In 2019; it was responsible for 3,286 deaths in Kenya. Understanding the epidemiological distribution of HPV genotypes by cervical dysplasia and HIV infection is important in designing prevention strategy and management of cervical cancer.ObjectiveTo determine HPV genotypes prevalence and their distribution by cervical dysplasia, social-demographic and risk factors associated with cervical cancer among HIV-infected women aged 18–48 years seeking reproductive healthcare in Eastern Kenya.MethodsCervical specimens were obtained for cytology, HPV-genotyping, histology while social-demographic factors were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using Pearson chi-square test.Results317 womencases: 161(50.8%); control 156(49.2%), mean age: 34.3, range 18–46 years were recruited. Thirteen HPV genotypes associated with cervical dysplasia were: CIN1{cases: HPV81[12(3.8%), HPV11[2(0.6%); control: HPV53 and HPV66[1(0.3%)}, CIN2 {cases: HPV11, HPV16, HPV661(0.3%), HPV816(1.9%) and single case1(0.3%) of HPV9, HPV11, HPV16, HPV44, HPV66, HPV81 HPV88, HPV53 and HPV58; control: HPV81[2(0.6%)} and invasive cancer {cases: HPV16[1(0.3%) and HPV81[3(0.9%); control: HPV16 and HPV66[1(0.3%).ConclusionsCervical dysplasia was associated with more mixed-lr/hrHPV genotypes among HIV-infected than HIV-uninfected women. The finding adds to the pool of knowledge the epidemiological data required in determining the population at risk for cervical cancer.     

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus in non-neoplastic cervical tissue lesion: cervical erosion

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the commonest sexually transmitted infection, which is associated with various clinical conditions, ranging from asymptomatic infection to malignant disease of the cervix. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and genotypic distribution of HPV in women with cervical erosion and to compare the results with those in women with a clinically normal cervix. A further aim was to establish the association between HPV infection and cervical cytology results in women with and without cervical erosion. Cervical samples were collected by liquid-based method and consecutively evaluated for the presence of HPV DNA and for cervical cytology. HPV DNA was tested by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and typed by reverse dot blot genotyping. Cytological classification was made according to Bethesda 2001 criteria. The overall HPV prevalence was 16.9%; HPV DNA was positive in 20.2% of women with cervical erosion and 12.8% in women with normal cervix (P < 0.05). Multiple infections were found in 34.1% of the HPV-positive women. Commonest types were HPV 18 (32.9%), HPV 16 (29.5%), HPV 54 (20.5%), and HPV 6 (17%). Cervical cytology results were abnormal for 5.2% of women with cervical erosion and for 1.3% with clinically normal cervix (P < 0.05). This study detected a high prevalence of HPV infection in women with cervical erosion compared to women with a normal cervix. This data may contribute to the HPV epidemiology in the southeastern Turkey. It is recommended that women with cervical erosion should be given priority in HPV screening programs.     

Associations between smoking, screening, and death caused by cervical cancer in Korean women

PURPOSE: Cervical cancer is a major women's health problem in the world today. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence and mortality rates and to investigate risk factors for cervical cancer in Korean women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reproductive factors, cigarette smoking, as well as the risk of incidence and death from cervical cancer were examined in a 12-year prospective cohort study of 475,398 Korean women aged 30 to 95 years who received health insurance from the National Health Insurance Corporation and who had a medical evaluation in 1992. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model after adjusting for age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, menarche, parity, and Papanicolaou test status. RESULTS: This study showed that the RR of death due to cervical cancer among current smokers was two times higher compared with non- smokers (RR=2.00; 95% CI, 1.23-2.91). In addition, the RR of death due to cervical cancer among all women who smoked > or = 10 cigarettes/day was 2.4 times higher than the RR among women that had never smoked. More interestingly, those who had never been screened by Papanicolaou smears had twice the risk of death due to cervical cancer (RR =2.00; 95% CI, 1.37-1.81). CONCLUSION: Our prospective study concluded that current smokers had an increased risk of death due to cervical cancer. We suggest that the target age group for cervical cancer screening tests be reconsidered and should begin as early as possible.     

Low sexual function and its associated risk factors in pre- and postmenopausal women without clinically significant depression

Objectives

To investigate the low sexual function and its associated risk factors in pre- and postmenopausal women without clinically significant depression.

Methods

Cross-sectional study with 180 women aged between 19 and 60 years who admitted to our outpatient clinic. Sexual function was assessed by female sexual function index and clinically significant depression was measured by Beck depression inventory test.

Results

The rate of low sexual function was 85.9% in postmenopausal (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.8–4.8) and 47.7% in premenopausal women (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3–0.5) (p < 0.0001). The postmenopausal group reported significantly lower desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain scores than controls (p < 0.0001, for all of them). Low sexual function was positively correlated with age (r = 0.37, p < 0.0001), menopausal status (r = 0.40, p < 0.0001), gravidity (r = 0.44, p < 0.0001), parity (r = 0.43, p < 0.0001), abortion rates (r = 0.27, p = 0.001) and marriage period (r = 0.40, p < 0.0001). There were also significant negative correlations between low sexual function and education (r = −0.39, p < 0.0001) and family income (r = −0.29, p < 0.0001). However, multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that education, family income and menopausal status were the only independent variables for low sexual function after adjusted for age, gravidity, parity, abortion, marriage period and menopausal status.

Conclusion

Low sexual function was relatively high in postmenopausal women without clinically significant depression. Education, family income and menopausal status were the independent risk factors for low sexual function. Investigation of female sexuality was essential for these patients.     

Results of longterm hospital based cytological screening in asymptomatic women

Routine cytological screening has been carried out in 27,062 asymptomatic women attending Gynaec and Family Planning O.P.D. of Queen Mary's Hospital, Lucknow, India (April 1971-December 2004). Incidence of squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) was found to be 5.9% in the series, while cervical malignancy was seen in 0.6% of cases. The study highlighted the immense utility of cytological screening in minimizing the incidence of carcinoma cervix in the segment of the urban population screened, as the incidence dropped down to 0.5% in the second half from 1.1% noticed in the first half of the screening period. The study also emphasized the utility of clinically downstaging the cervical cancer as 7,316 women showing clinical lesions of cervix were found to harbor SIL in 15.3% and carcinoma cervix in 1.3% of cases as against the incidence of 2.5% for SIL and 0.6% for frank cancer in women with normal cervix. The investigation into different risk factors involved in cervical carcinogenesis revealed that the incidence of SIL and cancer cervix showed a rise with increasing age and parity and prolonged sexual period. The incidences of both cervical cytopathologies were also higher in women of low socio-economic status while religion was found to have no bearing on the occurrence of the disease. Among the four sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) diagnosed in the cervical smears, Trichomonas vaginalis was found to be more prevalent (2.6%), while human papillomavirus (HPV) and Herpes simplex was seen in 0.4 and 0.2% of cases, respectively Herpes simplex was found to have strong affinity with both SIL and carcinoma cervix, while only SIL incidence was high with HPV infection. The study emphasizes need of proper education to women of low socio-economic class for creating awareness regarding hazards and risk factors of cervical cancer as well as management and cure of the disease.     

Predictors of Human papillomavirus (HPV) persistence after treatment of high grade cervical lesions; does cervical cytology have any prognostic value in primary HPV screening?

ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the factors associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) persistence in women undergoing cervical excision for pre-invasive lesions, after they have been referred from a primary HPV screening program.MethodsA retrospective study design involving patients who were treated at a Cervical Disease Screening and Treatment Unit, in a university hospital setting. After initial treatment, cervical HPV infection status was analyzed at the sixth month, first year and then subsequently after the second year.ResultsTotally, 395 patients who were diagnosed with pre-invasive cervical lesions and who subsequently undergone cervical excision were identified. In the first-year visit after cervical excision, HPV 18 was cleared in almost all (95.8%) cases, followed by HPV 16 (69.9%) and other hrHPV types (65.6%). Available data documented that 88.6% of women reached clearance after the two-year follow-up. Univariate analysis revealed a significantly higher proportion of HPV clearance among women who were younger (p = 0.019), premenopausal (p = 0.002), and who had been found to have a negative cytology result on their initial Pap test (p = 0.018). However, only cervical cytology result remained as the independent predictor of HPV persistence on a multivariate logistic regression (OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.21–0.87; p = 0.019).ConclusionsA low risk of HPV persistence was found among every HPV genotype in women undergoing cervical excision for pre-invasive cervical lesions. Initial cervical cytology result was the only independent predictor of HPV clearance during surveillance, which indicates the prognostic value of Pap test in primary HPV screening.     

Prediction of prolonged pregnancy in nulliparous women by transvaginal ultrasonographic measurement of cervical length at 20-24 weeks and 37 weeks

This study was done to evaluate transvaginal ultrasonographic measurement of cervical length at 20 to 24 weeks and 37 weeks as a predictor of prolonged pregnancy (defined as a pregnancy that extended beyond 41+2 weeks of gestation [289 days]) in nulliparous women. This prospective observational study enrolled 149 consecutive nulliparous women with singleton gestation at 37 weeks. Cervical length was measured by transvaginal ultrasonography at 20 to 24 weeks and 37 weeks. Cervical length at 37 weeks, but not at 20 to 24 weeks, was significantly longer in women delivered at >41+2 weeks than in those delivered at 相似文献   

Cross-sectional and case-controlled analyses of the association between smoking and early menopause

To examine potential confounders and dose-response data for the association between smoking and menopause, we used both a cross-sectional and case-controlled approach. In total, 10 606 middle-aged women residing in eastern Massachusetts were surveyed about their age at menopause and smoking history; 344 women (cases) with natural menopause prior to age 47 and 344 age-matched women (controls) who were still menstruating or who had a menopause after age 46 were selected for further study. Risk for menopause was assessed by Kaplan-Meier, Cox proportional hazards, or logistic regression models. From cross-sectional data on 8657 women aged 45–54, the hazards odds ratio for a natural menopause among women who ever smoked compared to non-smokers was 1.31 (95% C.L. 1.21–1.42) and among women who had accumulated 30 or more pack-years was 1.87 (95% C.L. 1.67–2.04) after adjustment for parity and weight. An additional potential confounder from the case-controlled study was lower educational attainment, and after adjustment for this variable, significant trends persisted for risk of early menopause associated with age began smoking (P = 0.03), years of smoking (P = 0.01) and pack-years of smoking (P = 0.03). This study demonstrates an association between smoking and early menopause in both cross-sectional and case-controlled data that is not confounded by parity, weight, socio-economic status, or nutritional variables.     

Determinants of early marriage among female children in Amhara Region,Ethiopia

BackgroundEarly Marriage is one of the global problems that undermine the personal development and the rights of women seriously. It is delicate among the developing countries such as Ethiopia. It has major consequences for public health, national security, social development, human rights, economic development, and gender equality.MethodsThe analyzed data were obtained from the 2016 EDHS and 1120 samples were considered in this analysis. Both bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression model were used to identify the determinants of early marriage practice.ResultsThe prevalence of early marriage practice was 48.57% in the study area. The odds of early marriage practice were 2.04(AOR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.88, 2.45) times higher among rural residents compared to urban. The odds of early marriage practice was 0.94(AOR=0.94, 95%CI: 0.57, 1.98) times lower among women who had primary education compared to uneducated women. Those who did not know the legal marital age were 1.61(AOR=1.61, 95%CI: 1.26, 2.07) times more likely to practice early marriage compared to parents who knew the legal marital age.ConclusionEducation level, family monthly income, residence, literacy level and knowledge of legal marital were significant determinants of early marriage practice.     

Epidemiology of cervical cancer in Colombia

Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women, and the first or second most common in developing countries. Cervical cancer remains in Colombia the first cause of cancer mortality and the second cause of cancer incidence among women, despite the existence of screening programs during the last 3 decades. Bucaramanga, Manizales and Cali reported rates around 20 per 100,000and Pasto 27 per 100,000. The Cali cancer registry has reported a progressive decrease in the age standardized incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer over the past 40 years. Reasons for the decline in incidence and mortality of cervical cancer are multiple and probably include: improvement in socio-economic conditions, decrease in parity rates and some effect of screening programs. Human papilloma Virus is the main cause of cervical cancer, HPV natural history studies have now revealed that HPVs are the commonest of the sexually transmitted infections in most populations. Most HPV exposures result in spontaneous clearance without clinical manifestations and only a small fraction of the infected persons, known as chronic or persistent carriers, will retain the virus and progress to precancerous and cancer. HPV 16 and 18 account for 70% of cervical cancer and the 8 most common types. (HPV 16, 18, 45, 33, 31, 52, 58 and 35) account for about 90% of cervical cancer. Case-control studies also allowed the identification of the following cofactors that acting together with HPV increase the risk of progression from HPV persistent infection to cervical cancer: tobacco, high parity, long term use of oral contraceptives and past infections with herpes simplex type 2 and Chlamydia trachomatis. The demonstration that infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is not only the main cause but also a necessary cause of cervical cancer has led to great advances in the prevention of this disease on two fronts: (i) Primary prevention by the use of prophylactic HPV vaccines; and (ii) secondary prevention by increasing the accuracy of cervical cancer screening.     

Role of different etiological factors in progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

Implication of high risk-human Papillomavirus in the process of cervical carcinogenesis is well documented. However, carcinogenesis in the cervix is recognized as multifactorial and other unknown etiological factors are also presumed to contribute to development of cancer. The present communication was aimed to investigate the role of risk factors such as age, parity, cervical lesions, and gynecological symptoms in the progression of the intra-epithelial cervical neoplasia. The study followed 571 cytologically diagnosed cases of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) during 35 yr of cytological screening, which is in progress at Gynae OPD of Queen Mary's Hospital of the University since April 1971 and until June 2005, a total of 33,658 cervical smears have been cytologically evaluated. Analysis of different risk factors in 571 HSIL cases revealed high parity coupled with increasing age to play a significant role in the progression of SIL. Further aggravated cervical lesions such as suspicious and unhealthy cervix and persistent vaginal discharge were found to be contributing factor in the progression of SIL. All these factors were predominantly seen in 35 cases of severe dysplasia that have shown progression from moderate dysplasia. The study indicates that women of high parity, especially with high age, are more prone to progression of SIL and hence this group needs mandatory cytological evaluation. Further adequate treatment of mild cervical lesions and persistent vaginal discharge is necessary to avoid the aggravation of the lesion/symptom and subsequent progression of dysplasia.     

Comparison of cervical parameters by three-dimensional ultrasound according to parity and previous delivery mode

Background: We would like to find out that whether the patient''s parity, previous delivery mode and previous labor could influence cervical parameters. Cervical length, volume and width were measured using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal ultrasound on normal pregnant women.Method: This study was conducted between January 2009 and December 2010 in singleton pregnant women who were admitted for routine antenatal care at hospitals in affiliation with the Catholic University, Seoul, Korea. The study group was classified by parity (nullipara and multipara) and previous delivery mode (cesarean section group and vaginal delivery group). The previous cesarean section group was divided by elective group who did not undergo labor and labor group who underwent labor. Cervical parameters such as cervical length, volume and width were measured using 2D and 3D ultrasound examinations in the first and second trimesters and the results were analyzed between those groups mentioned above.Results: One hundred and twenty-one pregnant women in their 1st trimester and 233 pregnant women in their 2nd trimester (a total of 354) were enrolled in this study. Cervical parameters were not statistically significant from parity, nor previous delivery mode and previous labor in 1st trimester. Cervical volumes were not statistically significant from nullipara and elective cesarean section groups (35.96±9.81 vs. 34.73±9.75 cm3), but the nullipara groups were significantly lowered in the vaginal group (35.96±9.81 vs. 43.10±11.87 cm3) in 2nd trimester. For the nullipara group, cervical widths were not statistically significant in the elective cesarean section group but these were significantly lower than labor and previous vaginal group in the 2nd trimester.Conclusion: The cervical volume and width have an influence on parity, previous delivery mode and labor in the 2nd trimester.     

A cross-border comparison of breast and cervical cancer screening uptake

This study investigated differences in uptake of breast and cervical cancer screening relating to socio-economic characteristics in the Republic and Northern Ireland. Multivariate analyses were performed using data from population-based surveys that detail breast and cervical cancer screening participation in the preceding 12 months in the two jurisdictions. Cervical screening rates were significantly higher in Northern Ireland where 536/1764 (30%) eligible women attended screening in comparison to the Republic where only 780/4472 (17%) eligible women attended screening. Differences in participation related to socio-economic group and education were also observed in screening programmes for cervical cancer (Wald: p = 0.000; p = 0.010) and related to education for breast cancer (Wald: p = 0.008) in the Republic of Ireland. Differences in participation across socio-economic groups in respect of breast and cervical cancer screening were not replicated in Northern Ireland. These differences may contribute to inequalities in treatment and outcomes across socio-economic groups in the Republic of Ireland.     

The prevalence of different HPV types in Turkish women with a normal Pap smear

The age-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) seroprevalence and HPV type distribution in women with normal cervical cytology were studied. Cervical smear samples obtained using liquid-based smears from 582 clinically healthy women aged between 15 and 68 years from five centers from four different regions of Turkey, were studied between February 2010 and January 2011. Overall, 530 of the women with normal cytology were included and the samples were analyzed for the presence of HPV by AmpliTaq. Positive samples were typed further for 37 different HPV genotypes by a line blot assay. HPV was positive in 17.9% of the women. HPV prevalence was highest in the age group of 25-29 years (31.8%), and decreased with increasing age. HPV 16 was the most common type (3.6%) followed by type 6 (2.6%) and type 45 (2.2%). Types 11 and 18 were rare (0.6% and 0.4%, respectively). Among the risk factors, number of sexual partners and parity were positively correlated with HPV positivity. In the present study, a large number of sex partners and high parity increased the risk for HPV infection. The age-specific distribution of HPV in women with normal Pap smears did not show a U-shaped curve in contrast to European countries and the USA.     

Oral contraceptive use and human papillomavirus infection in women without abnormal cytological results

Both experimental and epidemiological data support the idea that oral contraceptive (OC) use may have a stimulating effect to a certain point on cervical carcinogenesis. The current investigation tries to answer the question whether OC use might have an influence on early human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. A total of 425 women without abnormal cytological results were examined colposcopically, and filter in situ hybridisation (FISH) was used to determine the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Eighty-one cervical specimens (19.1%) were found to be positive for one or more of the HPV types in FISH. HPV positivity was found to correlate with age and parity, being the highest among women under 25 and with less than two births. The use of OCs was inversely correlated with the presence of ectopy or dysplasia in this group of women. On the other hand, HPV positivity was not significantly higher among OC users than among non-users in any colposcopic group. Neither the type of pill used, nor the duration of use had any significant effect on HPV positivity. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the effects of OC use on more severe HPV- induced cervical lesions.     

Discrepancy between Cytology and Histology in Cervical Cancer Screening: a Multicenter Retrospective Study (KGOG 1040)

BackgroundCervical cancer is the fourth common cancer in women worldwide. The Papanicolau test is the primary screening procedure to detect abnormal cervical cells. Colposcopy is the main procedure for discriminating high-grade cervical lesions. The study aimed at clarifying the discrepancy between cervical cytology and colposcopic biopsy histology as well as confounding factors.MethodsEligible patients visited thirteen tertiary hospitals for colposcopic biopsy following cervical cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes between January and December 2018. Baseline characteristics including age, body mass index (BMI), and parity were collected.ResultsIn our study, 3,798 eligible patients were included. Mean age of patients was 42.7 (19–88) years and mean BMI was 22.5 (16.9–34.1) kg/m². The referred cervical cytologic findings consisted of 495 normal, 1,390 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, 380 atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 792 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 593 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 79 atypical glandular cells, 46 squamous cell carcinoma, and 23 adenocarcinoma. HPV-positive findings were found in 3,008 (79.2%) patients and were not detected in 914 (24.1%) cases. The risk of unexpected low-grade lesions from histology was higher in patients > 45 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.137; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 1.475–3.096). In contrast, the risk of unexpected high-grade lesions from colposcopic biopsy was lower in patients ≥ 45 years (OR, 0.530; 95% CI, 0.367–0.747) and HPV 16/18 infection was higher than other HPV (OR, 1.848; 95% CI, 1.385–2.469).ConclusionAge and HPV genotypes were responsible for the discrepancies between cytology and histology. Precautions should be taken for women over the age of 45 in triage for colposcopy in order to avoid unnecessary testing.     

Lack of HPV 16 and 18 detection in serum of colposcopy clinic patients

BackgroundPersistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types is necessary for the development of high-grade cervical dysplasia and cervical carcinoma. The presence of HPV DNA in the blood of cervical cancer patients has been reported; however, whether HPV DNA is detectable in the blood of patients with pre-invasive cervical disease is unclear.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to determine if HPV 16 and HPV 18 DNA could be detected in the serum of colposcopy clinic patients, and if serum HPV detection was associated with grade of cervical disease and HPV cofactors.Study designSamples were selected from a biorepository collected from non-pregnant, HIV-negative women ages 18–69 attending colposcopy clinics at two urban public hospitals. Cervical disease status was based on review of colposcopy, biopsy and cytology findings. Serum HPV DNA detection was conducted using a novel PCR and mass spectroscopy-based assay.ResultsOf the 116 adequate serum samples, all (100%) were negative for HPV 16 and HPV 18. Over half (51.7%) of participants had cervical HPV 16 and/or HPV 18 infection. Nearly one-third (31.1%) had high grade, 10.3% had low grade, and 50.9% had no cervical disease. Nearly one-third (28.5%) had ever regularly smoked cigarettes, 70.7% had early onset of sexual intercourse, and 75% had ever used oral contraceptives.ConclusionsIn this colposcopy clinic population with a range of clinical characteristics and established HPV cofactors, HPV DNA was undetectable in their serum. Our findings suggest that serum HPV DNA detection is not a cervical cancer screening tool.     

The role of routine outpatient cytological screening for early detection of carcinoma of the cervix in India

Cytological evaluation of cervical smears has been carried out in 4,338 women attending the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department and Family Planning Clinic of Queen Mary's Hospital, Lucknow, India, since April 1971. The incidence of cervical dysplasia was found to be 4.6% (205 out of 4,338) in the series, while malignant smears were detected in 54 patients (1.2%). In five cases, malignant smears were encountered in women with apparently normal cervices, highlighting the advantage of exfoliative cytology in screening subjects without cervical pathology. The remaining 49 cases with malignant smears had lesions on the cervix that had been clinically diagnosed as carcinoma. The diagnosis of malignancy was confirmed by biopsy in all 54 cases showing malignant smears; however, in 10 cases clinically diagnosed as carcinoma of the cervix, and subsequently confirmed histologically, the diagnosis was missed by cytology, the smears being reported as inflammatory in seven and inadequate in three. Cytological evidence of herpes simplex infection was seen in the smears in 23 out of 54 cases of carcinoma, and trichomonal infection was present in 15, indicating some relationship of these infections with the development of neoplastic changes in the cervical epithelium. Eleven of the total 54 cases of carcinoma of the cervix were in the age group of 26-35 yr, and four were in subjects with only two children. This emphasizes the need for the routine cytologic screening of all child-bearing women with parities of two and above, regardless of their age, if any meaningful results are to be obtained in a cancer-screening program in India in view of the prevailing custom of early marriage.     

The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in paired urine and cervical smear samples of HIV-infected women.

BACKGROUND: HIV-infected women are at increased risk for cervical dysplasia. Cervical dysplasia is caused by persistent infections with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Conventional testing for genital HPV infections requires cervical cytology. A non-invasive screening method by detection of HPV DNA in urine samples is preferable but is not a routine practice. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and concordance of HPV in paired urine and cervical smear samples and cytological results of Pap smears in HIV-infected women. STUDY DESIGN: Paired urine and cervical smear samples were collected from 27 HIV-infected women. RESULTS: The HPV prevalence in urine and cervical smear samples was 81.5% and 51.9%, respectively (p = 0.01). The concordance for HPV positivity and negativity between urine and cervical smear samples is 71%. Seven women (25.9%) had an abnormal cervical smear of Pap II or higher. In all urine samples from these cases HPV DNA was detected. CONCLUSION: In the present study we show that the HPV prevalence in urine and cervical smear samples of HIV-infected women is high and HPV test results are highly concordant. Therefore, urine samples can be used as medium for HPV testing. HPV testing in urine samples is a simple, reliable, non-invasive screening method.