Introduction/Background Cervical cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity, especially in developing countries. Recurrence of cervical cancer is common, with about one-third of treated women experiencing recurrence within the first 2–3 years after treatment. This study aimed to investigate the pattern and time to recurrence of cervical cancer in a Sub-Saharan African teaching hospital to provide insights into optimal timing and imaging modality for follow-up.

Methodology This retrospective study analyzed imaging surveillance data (FDG PET/CT, Pelvic MRI, and CT) and clinical information of 122 patients treated for cervical cancer between 2011 and 2021. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed to assess the data. Descriptive analysis involved using frequency and percentages for categorical variables and mean (standard-deviation) for continuous variables. The time-to-recurrence was treated as a categorical variable, and ANOVA was used to compare the difference in mean ages between different times of recurrence. An independent t-test was used for the pattern of tumor recurrence, and Fisher’s exact test was used to evaluate the association between time to recurrence, pattern of recurrence, and different clinical characteristics.

Results Most patients experienced distant/multisite recurrences (72%), with locoregional recurrence being the least frequent (28%). The time to recurrence ranged from six to 264 months, with a median of 14 months (IQR of 8 to 33 months). About 67.2% of patients experienced recurrence within two years of treatment completion, while 24.6% showed recurrence between two and five years. Most participants were asymptomatic at the time of recurrence. The study found a significant association between time-to-recurrence and the pattern of tumour recurrence, with most pelvic recurrences occurring within two years (73.5%).

Conclusion Distant/multisite recurrences were the most prevalent. The majority of recurrences occurred within two years of treatment completion, with a median time to recurrence of 14 months.

Disclosures None.