Detection of Candida in Cervical Cancer Tissue by Periodic Acid Shiff and Gomori Methenamine Silver Staining

Introduction and Aim: Cervical cancer is a global health burden. Of all the cancer incidences reported in Indonesia, cervical cancer occupies the second position as the highest contributor to the incidence throughout the year, and the third position is the leading cause of death. Tissue culture and staining methods were used to diagnose the cervical cancer. This study aimed to compare Candida detection and the possibility of vulvovaginal candidiasis risk factors in cervical cancer tissue blocks stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Gomori methenamine silver (GMS). Methods: This was an analytical observational study using a cross-sectional approach. This study compared PAS and GMS staining to detect Candida fungi in paraffin block tissue from individuals diagnosed with cervical cancer at the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory of Kediri Regency Regional General Hospital in 2021–2022. The sampling used Total sampling was carried out from March to December 2022. Data analyses were descriptively performed. Results: The incidence of cervical cancer was dominated by patients aged 51–60 years who belonged the decade 6. In this study, 32 blocks of cervical cancer tissues were deparaffinized and analyzed. A histopathological diagnosis of the examined cervical biopsy samples was obtained. A total of 81.25% had cervical squamous cell carcinoma, in 18.75% of the patients and cervical adenocarcinoma. The findings of this study show that staining with GMS can detect more Candida fungi than PAS staining. Microscopic examination showed that GMS staining had a more obvious contrast, marked by black structures in the green area. Thirteen samples (40.7%) of the 32 examined for vulvovaginitis. However, this study did not show that Candida invasion of the cervix is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Conclusion: PAS and GMS staining can be used to detect Candida fungi in cervical cancer tissue. GMS staining has higher accuracy in detecting Candida in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and cervical adenocarcinoma. The risk factors for fungal infections and the occurrence of cervical cancer require further investigation.