Association between serum folate level and invasive cervical cancer at a university teaching hospital in South-West Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is a common cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Serum folate may modify cancer risk through its role in DNA synthesis and methylation. Objective: To determine the association between serum folate levels and the occurrence of cervical cancer among women seen at a university teaching hospital in South-West Nigeria. Patients and Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study involving two groups of participants including 50 cases with invasive cervical cancer (ICC) and 50 controls with a normal cervix. Data analysis was performed between discrete baseline characteristics of the cases and controls using the Pearson's Chi-square test, whereas the mean serum folate levels of the cases and controls were compared using the independent sample t-test. P