Impact of socioeconomic risk factors on carcinoma cervix: Hospital based pap smear screening of 2 years in Bihar

Introduction: Cervical cancer is leading cause of cancer related morbidity and mortality in Indian women with 123,000 new cases and 67,000 deaths annually. Various socioeconomic associated factors like Income, education, parity, early age at marriage and low awareness about risk factors and symptoms play contributory in initiation and progression from dysplasia to frank cervical carcinoma. Aim: According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS) State fact sheet Bihar year 2015-16, National Census of India year 2011 and Annual Health Survey year 2012-13, various above mentioned socioeconomic associated factors etiological are highly prevalent in female population of Bihar leading to growing number of cervical cancer patients. This study was carried out in a 199 bedded zonal hospital in Bihar to assess the impact of these factors on routine screening cervical pap smears and correlate the findings. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional study carried out by analysing 860 cervical pap smears at a 199 bedded hospital in Bihar from January 2015 to December 2017 with pre defined socioeconomic variables. Majority of patients were from low socioeconomic rural background. Result: Result showed linear correlation all the above risk factors to development of cervical cancer other then level of formal education. Conclusion: More awareness specific to cervical cancer is needed for effective control of cervical cancer. Also more access and effective implementation of cervical cancer screening programs nearest to rural patients and overall improvement in socioeconomic parameters will go a long way in reducing the burden of cervical cancer in developing countries.