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VOLUME 16 , ISSUE S3 ( December, 2024 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Study on Clinicopathological Correlation between Common Symptomatology in Women and Pap Smear Findings in a Tertiary Care Center

Rajshree D Katke, Sanchari Pal, Shubhangi Nawarange, Shaima Shaikh, Tanmay V Deshpande, Priyanka R Pawar

Keywords : Cervical cancer, Cervical cancer screening, Colposcopy, Pap smear

Citation Information :

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10006-2553

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 03-02-2025

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: According to recent data, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer among women in Southeast Asia, with incidence rates as high as 19% in countries like India, where lifestyle and access to healthcare significantly influence disease prevalence. Pap smear is a primary screening tool for early detection of cervical cancer. The current relevance of the Pap smear lies in its ability to detect changes in cervical cells before they turn cancerous. Regular screening has been shown to significantly lower the burden of cervical cancer by enabling early detection and treatment. Previously, most women were diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease, which resulted in poor outcomes. Owing to widespread screening drives with Pap smear examination, overall 5-year survival rates have increased as the disease is detected early. This study aims to correlate the symptomatology of women who had come to visit the gynecology outpatient department (OPD) with the corresponding Pap smear result. Materials and methodology: This is an outpatient-based, observational, prospective study carried out for a period of eight months between November 2023 and June 2024 at the department of obstetrics and gynecology in St. George's Hospital, Mumbai. A group of 200 women between the ages of 28–65 years, who had visited the gynecology outpatient department with abnormal discharge, pelvic pain, or other gynecological complaints, were included in the study, and their data have been analyzed. Results: Seventy-eight patients (39%) in the study were between 31 and 40 years of age. 77% of patients were married. 116 patients (66%) were multiparous. Most patients (36%) belonged to the upper lower socioeconomic stratum. Abdominal pain was the most common complaint in 51 patients (25.5%), while abnormal vaginal discharge was a symptom in 46 patients (23%). Around 77% of Pap smears (154 out of 200) were inflammatory, while 15% (30 smears) were negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM). Across all symptoms among the women in our study, inflammatory Pap smears were the predominant cytological finding. Conclusion: Cancer of the cervix is the second leading cause of death from cancers among women in India. Pap smear has been used as a primary screening modality for cervical cancer for many years now. It has greatly helped in early detection and timely treatment of cervical cancer and has significantly lowered the disease burden nationwide. Extensive nationwide screening programs with Pap smears play an undisputable role in lowering cervical cancer-related morbidity and mortality.


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