Abstract
Introduction
In Cambodia, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women, largely due to low rates of screening and limited access to healthcare services. Persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer in the country. While cervical cancer screening methods such as Pap smears and HPV testing are available, they are underutilized. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology, including the prevalence of HPV infections and the clinical characteristics of women who underwent cervical cancer screening at Mercy Medical Center, Cambodia (MMCC), in 2023.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted at the MMCC in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from January until December 2023. We included 648 records from the MMCC database system of women patients who accessed healthcare services. The data were analyzed with STATA (version 15.1 SE). Descriptive statistics were used. For continuous variables, we calculated the mean (SD) number of follow-up visits and age. We generated the frequency and percentage for categorical variables, including educational level, occupation, and marital status. Bivariate analysis was used to assess the associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and HPV infection.
Results
The mean age of the screened women was 38.7 years (SD = 8.9), with 77.3% reporting that they were married. Among the total samples, 600 women were screened for cervical cancer, 4.2% of whom tested positive for HPV. The highest prevalence of HPV was observed in women aged younger than 30 years. Women had many comorbidities, including anemia (6.5%), hypertension (6.2%), and diabetes (2.3%). Visual inspection of acetic acid (VIA) was the primary screening method in which 10.2% of the samples were VIA positive. Thermotherapy was the most utilized treatment (81.8%). No statistically significant associations were found between HPV status and factors such as age group, occupation, comorbidities, marital status, or education level.
Conclusion
This study underscores the need for the MMCC management team, local health authorities, relevant ministries, NGOs, and policymakers to be alerted of HPV infection and cervical cancer prevention. To address high-risk populations effectively, we should particularly target women aged younger than 30 years. It is essential to implement targeted preventative and intervention strategies such as enhancing public education and access to cervical cancer screening and vaccination while encouraging healthcare providers to educate patients and implement follow-up initiatives to increase participation.