RESUMEN
Background and objective Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among Indian women. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for global action toward the elimination of cervical cancer through the triple-intervention strategy. One of its pillars is ensuring 70% screening coverage of eligible women with a high-performance test at least twice in their lifetime. Various factors contribute to the delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer, increasing the burden of the disease. In this study, we aimed to determine the healthcare provider (HCP)-related factors in the diagnostic delay of advanced cervical cancer. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over two months in the cancer clinic of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, India. We interviewed 384 women diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer [the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB3-IVB] by using a questionnaire to capture data inputs regarding the various healthcare services they had received in the past 10 years along with details of HCPs. The collected data were analyzed using the software STATA version 17.0. Results Among 384 participants, 185 (48.1%) had interacted with an HCP in the past 10 years; 157 (40.8%) of them had visited a healthcare facility. Among these 185 women, only 22.16% had been advised to undergo screening, and only 15.18% had been tested despite several having access to primary health centers within 10 km of their residence. The lack of screening guidance by HCPs accounted for 78% of delayed diagnoses of cervical cancer. Conclusions Based on our findings, a deficiency in screening guidance in the asymptomatic period by healthcare providers across various levels of our healthcare system contributed significantly to the delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer.
