Objective: To describe the frequency and spectrum of different types of gynecological malignancies.
Study design: An observational study.
Place and duration of study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, from January 2014 to December 2015.
Methodology: All patients with gynecological malignancies, admitted at the study place, whether previously diagnosed or need to establish the diagnosis on the basis of EUA, biopsy, staging and for surgery during the study period were included. All patients with benign gynecologic masses were excluded. Studied variables were age, marital status, parity, education, socioeconomic status, clinical presentation, clinical diagnosis, tumor site and surgical procedure. The diagnosis and type of malignancy was confirmed on the histopathology report of the specimen taken.
Results: There were a total of 65 patients (6.39%) with gynaecological malignancies. The median age was 15 years (46.26%). Ninety-four percent were married. Seventy-one percent had a poor socioeconomic status. Cervical cancer was most common as seen in 27 (41.5%) followed by ovarian malignancy in 21 (32.3%) of cases, uterine caners in nine (13.8%), vaginal cancer in six (9.2%), and vulval cancer in three (4.6%) of cases. The common histopathological type of cervical cancer was moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (n=19, 29.2%), papillary serous cyst adenocarcinoma in ovarian (n=13, 20.0%), and squamous cell carcinoma in vagina and vulva. There was no case of primary fallopian tube malignancy.
Conclusion: Gynecological malignancies are common in younger age group. The need is to strengthen screening practices, making it easy and cost-effective for all the general and at risk population, so that early detection and treatment can be possible to control the female genital tract cancers.