Non-Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix in Zaria, Northern Nigeria: A Clinico-Pathological Analysis

Background: The incidence of Adenocarcinoma of the cervix is on the increase in many parts of the world. There is paucity of information regarding non-squamous cancer of the cervix in our setting.Method: Descriptive analysis involving consecutive histological confirmed cases of non-squamous malignancy of the cervix over a ten-year period from January 1994 to December 2003. Results: During the period of study, there were 361 histological confirmed cases of cervical cancer of which 322 (89.2%) were squamous cell carcinoma and 10.8% were non-squamous cell malignancy. All the 39 cases of non-squamous cell cancer except one were adenocarcinoma (97.4%). The exception was a case of leiomyosarcoma. Pure adenocarcinoma is the commonest form of adenocarcinoma (60.5%) followed by adenosquamous variant (21.1%). The mean age of the 39 patients was 42.9±7.2years (range 29 – 75 years) and mean parity of 5.5±2.9 (range 2 – 12). All the patients were symptomatic with abnormal uterine bleeding associated with vaginal discharge seen in 89.5% of cases. 80% of the patients were diagnosed in advanced stage. Conclusion: Non-squamous cancer of the cervix constitutes 11% of all cervical malignancy in Zaria and adenocarcinoma is the commonest form. The clinical profile of adenocarcinoma of the cervix does not appear to differ from that of squamous cell cancer. Further studies are needed to compare the prognosis between the two histological cell types in our environment.