Analysis of the histopathological pattern of carcinoma of the cervix in Ilorin, Nigeria.

This study was carried out to determine the histopathological pattern and age distribution of the 253 patients with carcinoma of the cervix whose specimens were processed and histological diagnosis made between January 1979 and December 1997 in the Department of Pathology of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. Well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest tumour and constituted 60.1% while adenocarcinoma was the least and accounted for 2.4% of cases. The ages of patients ranged between 23 and 85 years with an average of 51.8 years. The frequency distribution of carcinoma of the cervix appears to have bimodal pattern with a peak age at the fifth and seventh decades of life. Yearly pattern of new cases shows a very slow rate of decline in the number of cases. It is necessary to establish many screening centres and educate the populace in order to raise the level of awareness. This will enable early detection of the preinvasive lesions and thereby reduce the incidence of the frank carcinoma.