Common Cancer Facts That Women Need to Know About

Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in any part of the body. Since the last decade, cancer has become the most deadly and feared disease, especially in women. Following are some cancer facts that women must know. Breast, endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancers most often affect women rather than men.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer can occur at any stage of life, but its risk increases as you age. If you have a family history of breast cancer, then you have a greater chance of having breast cancer than others; regular screening tests, including mammograms, are the most reliable ways to diagnose breast cancer early. Women aged above forty years should get a mammogram every year.

• There are more than 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
• More than sixty percent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed with no sign that cancer has spread outside the breast.
• Men get breast cancer too.
• On average, every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer is a cancer of the inner lining of the uterus. The following things increase your risk of having endometrial cancer.

• Taking estrogen without progesterone for long term
•  Late menopause or infertility
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that’s why patients with PCOS are advised to manage this syndrome, as it is the root cause of many other diseases.

Regular pelvic exams and Pap tests can help you with early diagnosis. Patients with a history or heredity of Lynch syndrome and PCOS should undergo yearly testing with an endometrial biopsy.

• It’s uncommon in women under the age of forty-five.
• This cancer is more common in Black women as compared to white women.

Cervical Cancer

Chronic infection by the human papillomavirus HPV is a common reason of cervical cancer. Other risk factors for cervical cancer include:

• Having a weakened immune system.
• Recurrent Chlamydia infection.
• Obesity.
• Certain hormone treatments for the long term.
• Not having regular cervical cancer screening tests.

The HPV vaccine can protect against HPV infections linked to cancer. Regular screening tests can help you to detect changes in the cervix that can be treated before they become cancer. The yearly HPV test can also be helpful.

• Most affected women with cervical cancer are present in developing countries.
• According to WHO, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally
• Women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer

Ovarian cancer

Women of any age can suffer from ovarian cancer. Estrogen hormone replacement therapy and conceiving late can increase the risk of ovarian cancer. It is necessary to go for a regular checkup and pelvic exam from your healthcare practitioner for early diagnosis.

• It is  deadly and 5th leading cause of cancer death among women
• It is most common in white women as compared to black women
• Ovarian cancer mostly develops in older women. Most women at the age of 63 years develop it.

Bottom line

Only regular cancer screening tests and checkups can help you offer early cancer diagnosis. Physical activity, a healthy lifestyle, organic food choices, and avoiding junk food can decrease the risk of cancer. If your family has a cancer history, then you have to be more vigilant and proactive for regular checkups for cancer and screening tests.