Prevalence of Precancerous Cervical Lesion in Women Attending Cervical Cancer Screening Programme at a Tertiary Level Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in developing countries, and their incidence can be reduced by early detection and treatment of related precancerous lesions. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening test is common method of finding precancerous cervical lesion. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of precancerous cervical lesions in women attending the cervical cancer screening program at a tertiary-level hospital.

Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study (record review) was conducted among women who attended cervical screening at the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinic of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (RAHS) from Baisakh to Chaitra, 2080. After obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee of RAHS (IRC RAHS), data on the participants’ age, residence, ethnicity, and other reproductive morbidities were retrieved from hospital records.

Results: The hospital records of 1,055 women were analyzed in this study. The mean age of the participants was 37.91±10.41 years, with more than one-third (36.5%) in the age group of 31-40 years. Among those who underwent cervical screening, the prevalence of precancerous lesions was 4.4%. No significant associations were found between age (p=0.55), residence (p=0.91), ethnicity (p=0.055), or other reproductive morbidities and the prevalence of precancerous lesions at the 95% confidence level.

Conclusion: The prevalence of precancerous cervical lesions was low; however, the findings highlight the need for establishing regular screening programs at the community level.