Clinicopathological Profile and FIGO Staging Pattern of Cervical Cancer in Postmenopausal Women Presenting with Bleeding

Rezumat

Background:

Postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) requires prompt evaluation because it may indicate genital malignancy. This study assessed the etiological profile of PMB and the FIGO staging pattern of cervical cancer among postmenopausal women attending a tertiary care center.

Methods:

This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, from April 2021 to August 2022. Seventy-six postmenopausal women presenting with bleeding per vaginum were included. Clinical evaluation, Pap smear, and histopathological examination were performed as clinically indicated. Cervical cancer was staged according to the FIGO 2018 staging system. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0.

Results:

The mean age of participants was 56 ± 7.3 years, with 47.4% aged 51–60 years. Parity ≥6 was reported in 30.3%, while 53.9% belonged to the low socioeconomic group. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (32.9%). Malignant lesions were identified in 51.3% of participants and benign lesions in 48.7%. Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix was the most frequent malignancy (42.1%). Among 34 cervical carcinoma cases, stage IIB was the most frequently reported stage (44.1%), followed by stages IIIB and IB (11.8% each).

Conclusion:

Cervical cancer was a frequent malignant cause of PMB in this study, with a substantial proportion of cases diagnosed at advanced stages.

Recommendation:

Strengthening awareness, timely evaluation of PMB, cervical cancer screening, and early referral may facilitate earlier diagnosis among postmenopausal women.