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Gynecological Cancer
Every 64 minutes, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with a gynecological cancer. It is the fourth most common cancer in American women today. Cancer diagnosed early can be treated quite well with much less discomfort and a much better outcome. In the following paragraphs, you will find information about the causes, risk factors, and types of gynecological cancer.
What is gynecologic cancer?
Gynecologic cancer is an uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells specific to the female reproductive organs, including the cervix, ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina and vulva.
What causes gynecologic cancer?
Biomedical research has discovered that some genes, called oncogenes, promote the growth of cancer. You can acquire these genetic mutations during life (e.g. through smoking, aging or environmental influences) or you can inherit these mutations from your parents or grandparents.
Can gynecologic cancer be prevented?
Diet, exercise and lifestyle choices play a significant role in the prevention of cancer. Reducing the risk for sexually transmitted diseases also reduces the risk of cancer on the cervix and vulva.
Taking birth control pills decreases the risk for uterine and ovarian cancer. Additionally, knowing your family history is very important, because it may reveal, that you are at increased risk for breast or ovarian cancer and therefore more frequent screening exams or preventive medication may be beneficial. Some abnormal genes that cause cancer can also be detected with a blood test.
Screening and self-examinations conducted regularly can result in the detection of precancerous lesions or cancers in earlier stages, when treatment is more likely to be successful and less radical.
How is gynecologic cancer treated?
Gynecological cancer treatment involves surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and sometimes experimental treatments. Specialists of many different backgrounds are involved.
A gynecological oncologist is an board certified OB/GYN physician who has taken an additional three to four years of training to specialize in the treatment of gynecological cancers. You can obtain free gynecological health information, as well as a free listing of gynecologic oncologic specialists in your area by calling the toll free gynecologic cancer information hotline: 1 (800) 444-4441.
Who is at risk?
Anyone. Each year, approximately 82,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cancers affecting the reproductive organs. Gynecological cancers occur frequently in older women. Therefore regular gynecological examinations are important even after the change of life.
You can conduct an online cancer risk assessment at the Women's Cancer Network - www.wcn.org . It will take you less than 15 minutes using this confidential interactive tool. Then you can discuss the findings with your physician to set up a treatment plan.
Types of gynecologic cancers:
Ovarian Cancer
What it is: Ovarian cancer, the most serious of the gynecologic malignancies, usually arises on the surface of the ovary.
The symptoms: Although there are very few specific symptoms, the most common ones are pressure or fullness in the pelvis and abdominal bloating, or changes in bowel and bladder patterns,which are constant and progressive.
Risk factors: The risk of ovarian cancer increases
with age, especially around the time of menopause. A family history of ovarian cancer is one of the most important risk factors. Infertility and not bearing children are also risk factors, whereas pregnancy can decrease the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer ranks fifth as a cause of cancer deaths among women, and causes more deaths than any other of cancer of the female reproductive system. It is estimated that there will be 25,200 new cases diagnosed and approximately 14,500 deaths from ovarian cancer in the United States during 1999.
Uterine Cancer
What it is: Most uterine cancers begin in the lining of the uterus (endometrium) after menopause, when a woman's menstrual cycle ends and the endometrium flattens out. Those cells in the lining that grow out of control and invade the muscle of the uterus are typically responsible for uterine cancer.
The symptoms: Warning signs include bleeding after menopause or irregular vaginal bleeding before menopause.
Risk factors: Risk factors include obesity, hypertension, diabetes, inappropriate estrogen use, tamoxifen use and late menopause. Women who have not been pregnant have a slightly higher risk.
Cancer of the endometrium is the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs. It is estimated that 37,400 new cases will be diagnosed and 6,400 women will die from uterine cancer in 1999.
Cervical Cancer
What it is: Cervical cancer is caused by an abnormal cell change in the cervix and is the only gynecologic cancer that can be prevented by regular screening.
The symptoms: Bleeding after intercourse, excessive discharge and abnormal bleeding between periods.
Risk factors: Failure to receive regular examinations often eliminates the opportunity for early diagnosis by Pap smear screening. Smoking, a high number of sexual partners, HPV infections and early age of first intercourse are other risk factors. HIV infection also increases the risk of cervical cancer significantly.
*About 4,800 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States during 1999. Between 1955 and 1992, the number of cervical cancer deaths in the United States declined by 74% due to the increased use of the Pap test, a screening procedure that permits diagnosis of precancerous changes in the cervix.
Vulvar Cancer
What it is: Vulvar cancer appears as lesions on the surface of the vulva.
The symptoms: Itching in the vulvar area.
Risk factors: Risk factors include diabetes, advanced age (70's, 80's and 90's) and chronic vulvar irritation.
This is a very curable type of cancer, usually with surgical removal of the vulvar lesions and the groin lymph nodes.
Vaginal Cancer
Vaginal cancers are very rare. They are usually diagnosed in elderly women and are treated with radiation.
Cancer of the Fallopian Tubes
The fallopian tubes will rarely develop cancer. Treatments and risk factors for fallopian tube cancer are similar to ovarian cancer.
If you have any questions or concerns or want to know more about gynecological cancer, please contact a UT Medical Group health care provider at (901) 448-1630.
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Information and links found on the UT Medical Group, Inc. web site are neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency call your healthcare provider immediately.
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