Gynecological malignancies: epidemiological characteristics of the patients in a tertiary care hospital in India

Background: This cross-sectional observational study was undertaken to identify the epidemiologicalcharacteristics of patients with gynecological malignancies in India, in relation to gynecological cancer risk.Methods: In the gynecology out-patient clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata, India, the patients withsuggestive symptoms of gynecological malignancies were screened. One hundred thirteen patients withhistopathologically confirmed gynecological malignancies were interviewed. Results: More than two-thirds ofthe cases (69.0%) occurred in the age range of 35-64 years and the same proportion of patients was from ruralareas. Almost all the patients were “ever-married” (96.5%). More than half (54.9%) were illiterate/just literate.Nearly two-thirds (64.6%) were parity 3 or higher. Among the 18 patients with history of multiple sexual partnersof the husband, 94.4% (17) were suffering from cervical malignancy, along with all the 3 patients with historyof STD syndromes (sexually transmitted diseases) of their husbands. No one had given a history of condom useby her husband. Most of the patients (91.1%) used old / reused cloth pieces during menstruation. Conclusions:There is a need to increase awareness among women and the broader community about different epidemiologicalfactors that may be responsible for increased risk of gynecological malignancies.