Cancer institutional registry in a gynaecological service at San Pedro Claver Clinic, Bogotá, Colombia 2003

Abstract

Objective: reviewing new cases of gynaecological cancer attending Clínica San Pedro Claver, Bogotá, Colombia during 2003.

Material and methods: the clinic’s oncological gynaecology committee facilitated compiling data as all new patients benefiting from this service are interviewed by it; a search was made during clinical meetings, in consultants’ offices, amongst hospitalised patients, of operating room schedules and pathological reports to ensure including all new cases.

The data so collected was recorded in an excel file; EPIINFO software was then used for analysing it.

Results: there were 158 cases of gynaecological cancer, cer vical cancer being encountered most frequently (46%). This neoplasm was divided into exocer vix (59 cases) and endocer vix (16 cases) categories; the cancerous stage found most often in both was Ib. Surgery was most often employed as treatment for this type of cancer.

Endometrial cancer was found in 46 women. Stage I (50%), endometroid cancer (55%) and surger y (55%) were the stages, histology and treatment most often found, respectively.

34 patients were found to have ovarian cancer, presenting the same ratio of stages I-II as late stage III-IV; serous histology was most frequently encountered (52.3%). A combination of surgery and chemotherapy were most often employed for treating this disease.

Conclusions: Clínica San Pedro Claver ’s institutional records led to establishing the distribution of different gynaecological tumours being evaluated there, establishing related personal and clinical characteristics and the types of therapy being received. Cervical cancer was found to be the gynaecological cancer appearing most frequently during 2003 in Clínica San Pedro Claver. This type of cancer can be detected by pap smear screening (cervical-vaginal cytology), meaning that screening/ prevention programmes for this disease should be given high priority.