Dyslipidemia: prevalence and association with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix - a pilot study

Q: What was the study’s primary aim?

To determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its association with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix among women attending a cervical cancer clinic in Uganda.

Q: How were cervical lesions classified in the study?

Pap smear and visual inspection with acetic acid were used, cervical biopsies were collected, and lesions were classified using the Bethesda system 2014.

Q: Which lipid markers showed significant associations with precancerous lesions?

Low HDL-c was most prevalent, and high total cholesterol, high triglycerides, and low HDL-c showed significant associations with precancerous lesions.

Q: What do the results suggest for screening?

The study concludes dyslipidemia is common and linked with cervical lesions, indicating women may benefit from dyslipidemia screening alongside cervical cancer screening.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven

Study determines the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its association with precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions among women attending a cervical cancer clinic at Uganda Cancer Institute. A cross-sectional design enrolled women with premalignant and malignant lesions, collected demographics and health-seeking behaviors, and assessed cervical lesions using the Bethesda system 2014. Serum lipids were measured, and statistical associations tested with chi-square (P≤0.05). Findings show high dyslipidemia prevalence and significant lipid-lesson associations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

What this study adds

Main text excerpts

Background on cervical cancer burden

Precancerous lesions and risk factors

Mwangi etal. Lipids in Health and Disease (2024) 23:3 Lipids in Health and Disease [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-023-01997-8](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-023-01997-8) RESEARCH Open Access Dyslipidemia: prevalence and association with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix; a pilot study Gakii Fridah Mwangi1*, Nixon Niyonzima3, Raymond Atwine2, Deusdedit Tusubira5, Godfrey R Mugyenyi4 and Frank Ssedyabane1 Abstract Background In Sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of dyslipidemia is on the rise, with studies showing dyslipidemiaas a contributing factor to the progression of premalignant lesions to cervical cancer. In Uganda, cervical cancer and dyslipidemia are common health concerns, considering the increasing trends of dyslipidemia in the general population and inadequate information regarding dyslipidemia and cervical lesions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its association with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix among women attending a cervical cancer clinic at the Uganda Cancer Institute. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2022 among women with premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix. Data on social demographics and health-seeking behaviours were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire after written informed consent had been obtained. Pap smear collection preceded visual inspection with acetic acid; cervical biopsies were collected appropriately from eligible participants; and cervical lesions were classified using the Bethesda system 2014. Serum lipids, total cholesterol (T. C.), high-density lipoprotein (HDLc), low-density lipoprotein (LDLc), and triglycerides (T. G. s) were analysed using the COBAS™ 6000 Clinical Chemistry Analyser. The associations were assessed using the chi-square test, and P≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia among women with cervical lesions was 118/159 (74%), and low HDLc was the most prevalent at 64 . 6%(95% CI 39.0–54. 3) . HighT. C. (P = 0 . 05), highT. G. s (P = 0 . 011), and low HDL-c (P = 0 . 05) showed a significant association with precancerous lesions. High LDL-c (P = 0 . 019), highT. G. s (P = 0 . 02), and highT. G. s (P < 0. 001) showed a statistically significant association with cancerous lesions. Conclusion The prevalence of dyslipidemia was high, with high TC, T. G. s, and low HDL-c significantly associated with precancerous lesions. Also, elevated T. G. s and high LDLc were significantly associated with cancerous lesions. Women may benefit from dyslipidemia screening along with cervical cancer screening. What this study adds The present study builds upon previous findings suggesting a link between dyslipidemia and cervical lesions by investigating the relationship between these two factors, specifically in women of this geographical location, where we need adequate information on these associations. Keywords Dyslipidemia, Cancerous lesions, Precancerous lesions, Cervix *Correspondence: Gakii Fridah Mwangi [fridahgakii99@yahoo.com](fridahgakii99@yahoo.com) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly

FAQs

What was the study’s primary aim?

To determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its association with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix among women attending a cervical cancer clinic in Uganda.

How were cervical lesions classified in the study?

Pap smear and visual inspection with acetic acid were used, cervical biopsies were collected, and lesions were classified using the Bethesda system 2014.

Which lipid markers showed significant associations with precancerous lesions?

Low HDL-c was most prevalent, and high total cholesterol, high triglycerides, and low HDL-c showed significant associations with precancerous lesions.

What do the results suggest for screening?

The study concludes dyslipidemia is common and linked with cervical lesions, indicating women may benefit from dyslipidemia screening alongside cervical cancer screening.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven