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Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells divide and multiplY. As they do so, they spread to other parts of the body, invading and destroying your body's tissues and organs. There are many different forms of cancer, a few of them mainly affecting women. Most women are aware of breast cancer and cervical cancer, and are screened for these by their doctors during their annual exam. Another form of cancer that isn't as likely to be discovered early is ovarian cancer. If left undetected and untreated, all of these cancers can cause death. Many cancers are easily overlooked until they have spread too far for them to be controlled; that is why early detection is so important!
Breast cancer grows rather slowly. For this reason, it may be growing for several years before it becomes large enough to feel with your hand while doing a routine self exam. That is why mammograms are so important. A mammogram is an x-ray type of exam that detects lumps much smaller than ones that can be felt. Your chances of breast cancer may be increased if you have a history of breast cancer in your family. Doctors urge any woman over the age of 40 to have an annual mammogram. If there is a history of breast cancer in your family, you should have them done even sooner, see your doctor for a recommendation. The good news is that there is a 90% recovery rate if the breast cancer is found early!
Ovarian cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women. It is difficult to detect and therefore has a higher mortality rate than cancers that are easier to detect. Ovarian cancer is most common in women between the ages of 50 - 70, although it can occur in women of any age. Ovarian cancer has no symptoms in the early stages. It is most often detected when a doctor detects an enlarged ovary during a routine exam. In more advanced stages of ovarian cancer, the woman may experience intestinal problems, a sensation of fullness and abdominal or pelvic pain. As the cancer progresses, it causes fluid to fill up in the abdomen. Often a woman's first clue that something is wrong is her noticing that her waistline is expanding for unknown reasons, her clothes suddenly become too tight in the waist.
A woman's chances of having ovarian cancer may increase if she has never had children, if she has had children at an older age, never taken birth control pills, or having a family history of colon, breast, prostate, lung or ovarian cancers. Treatment of ovarian cancer sometimes requires removal of the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes. Chemotherapy is usually the next step after surgery.
Cervical cancer can be easily detected with an annual Pap exam. This is a routine test done in your doctors office. As in most cancers, the exact cause of cervical cancer is not known however there are a few things that may increase a woman's chance of developing it:
1. Having sexual intercourse before the age of 20
2. Having the STD that causes genital warts
3. Having numerous sexual partners
4. Smoking cigarettes.
Like ovarian cancer, cervical cancer rarely has any symptoms in its early stages. In later stages, the symptoms may include vaginal bleeding after intercourse or a bloody discharge between periods. In the late stages, the symptoms may include painful intercourse, back pain and weight loss.
Treatments may vary depending on the severity of the cancer. A hysterectomy, or removal of the uterus and cervix may be necessary. If the cancer has spread, radiation therapy is usually the required treatment.
Cancer kills thousands of women each year. Some of them may be detected and treated if they are caught in time. All women should see their doctor on a yearly basis to have a routine breast and Pap test.
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