Socio-Demographic determinants of survival from cervical cancer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Kumasi, Ghana

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Date
November, 2016
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Abstract
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. In 2012, an estimated 528000 new cases were reported with the largest burden occurring in less developed countries (around 85%). It accounts for almost 12% of all cancers in females and remains the most common cancer in women in Central and Eastern Africa. In Ghana, approximately 3,000 women are diagnosed annually with cervical cancer with at least 2,000 of them dying from the disease per year. Socio-demographic risks such as education, income, marital status and co-morbidity, seem to significantly contribute to the survival of patients with cervical cancer disease. It is believed that the most vulnerable population affected with cervical cancer is women with low socio-demographic status. However, it is unclear how these factors interact to affect screening, diagnosis and survival in Ghana. This research therefore aimed at assessing the contribution of socio-demographic characteristics such as age, marital status, parity, religion, occupation, education, income, residence (urban and rural), co-morbidity, life style, stage at diagnosis and treatment type on the survival of patients with cervical cancer over a five year period. A retrospective cohort design was employed of all cervical cancer patients who fulfilled the criteria for inclusion, by retrieval of all such data from the folders of the cancer directorate of the KATH. From all such folders variables such as age, marital status, parity, religion, occupation, education, income, residence (urban and rural), co-morbidity, life style, stage at diagnosis and treatment type were extracted using an excel format data set over a five-year period (2004 to 2008). Over the study period, trends in outcomes of health status measures available in patients’ records were reviewed and data extracted for analysis based on the socio-demographic variables.
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A thesis submitted to the department of population, family and reproductive health, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master in public health in population, Family and Reproductive Health,
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