Clinical audit of patients with cervical cancer in Slovenia. Data analysis from 2003-2006.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: From 2003 to 2006 the data on Slovenian cervical cancer patients who regularly attended a gynecologist were gathered. Data were analyzed in order to improve the efficiency of the cervical cancer screening program.

METHODS

Data on all patients newly diagnosed with cervical cancer were collected at three central clinics in Slovenia. The results are a presentation and comparison of detailed information on some characteristics of cervical cancer patients of the group that regularly visited a gynecologist and of the other group who did not. Data were processed by descriptive epidemiological methods. Mantel-Haenzel chi2 and Fisher's p tests were used to evaluate statistical significance.

RESULTS

On average, 55% of patients with cervical cancer underwent a gynecological examination five years before the diagnosis. The patients who regularly attended their gynecologist were, in all age groups, statistically significantly younger, the stage of cervical cancer at diagnosis was statistically significantly lower (p = 0.01) and were, in statistically significantly higher percentage, treated surgically (p < 0.01). From 2003 to 2006, each patient had on average five examinations at her gynecologist within the period of five years to six months before the diagnosis of cervical cancer. The average number of collected smear samples was 3.2.

CONCLUSION

From the results of our analysis, it may be concluded that improvements are needed in Slovenia in the field of screening for and early detection of cervical cancer.