Cervical cancer still presents symptomatically 20 years after the introduction of a structured national screening programme.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the pattern of presentation of cervical cancer and to identify the characteristics of women who present symptomatically with cervical cancer.

METHODS

A retrospective study of all cervical cancer cases diagnosed over a 4-year period. Details of mode of presentation, stage at diagnosis and cytological/gynaecological history were collated.

RESULTS

In total, 148 cases were identified with a median age of 46 years (range, 20-91 years). In this population, 112 (75.7%) women were within the screening age range. Forty-eight (33.6%) were asymptomatic at diagnosis and presented through the colposcopy clinic. All asymptomatic women (100%) had stage I disease at diagnosis, compared with 37.2% of the symptomatic group (P < 0.001). Postmenopausal bleeding was the most common presenting symptom (33%), followed by postcoital bleeding (14.2%), intermenstrual bleeding (12.2%) and increased vaginal discharge (3.4%). The majority of symptomatic women presented through colposcopy, gynaecological oncology or gynaecology clinics (87.6%); however, 6.5% presented through the emergency department. Women who presented symptomatically were significantly older than asymptomatic women (54.9 versus 38.1 years, P < 0.001). Women at risk of social isolation (non-English speakers, alcohol abusers, heavy smokers, receiving treatment for psychiatric disease) were more likely to present with symptoms, through the emergency department and with advanced disease at diagnosis (stage II+) (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A review of local cervical cancer cases can highlight areas of weakness in a screening programme and can identify populations who are at risk in presenting symptomatically with advanced disease.