The cells in our bodies grow at a particular rate and the older ones are expected to die at the same rate. It turns cancerous when cells grow faster than they die. “The key is to go in for tests wherever possible so cancers can be arrested at the first stage. Many women do not flinch before buying a sari for Rs 5,000 but make excuses about taking tests, citing they are expensive,” said Dr Susupta Chaudhuri, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. She was addressing an all-women audience about the most common gynaecological cancers in India at an event organised by the Inner Wheel Club of Salt Lake Down Town at Prakash Bhavan. “The pap smear and mamography must be taken periodically,” she added.
Cervical cancer
Who is at risk?
Women who-
► Started having intercourse at an early age
► Have multiple sex partners
► Have had multiple child births
► Smoke
► Have had renal transplant or have reduced immunity
► Are infected by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Symptoms
Bleeding after intercourse and blood-stained watery discharge
Screening and precaution
There is a vaccine available now to protect against cervical cancer. Women in the age group of nine to 45 can take it.
With or without the vaccine, one must take the pap smear test once every two years once one starts having intercourse. The test checks for abnormalities before they become cancerous. It is a painless test that takes three to five minutes. Continue this test till the age of 62 to 65.
Uterine cancer
Who is at risk?
Women who-
► Are in the age group of 60 to 75
► Have not delivered a baby or had a late baby
► Have not breast-fed
► Are obese
► Have polycystic ovarian disease
► Have had oestrogen alone (and no progesterone) used for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause
► Have had other gynaecological cancers before
► Have a family history of gynaecological cancer
Symptoms
Spotting, bleeding, blood-stained watery discharge
Screening and precaution
There is no screening test for uterine cancer. If a patient reports symptoms she will be asked to do an ultra sound test and biopsy. If the tests are positive, hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) is the most common option.
Ovarian cancer
Who is at risk?
Women who-
► Are between 50 and 75 years
► Have a history of ovarian cancer in the family
► Have not had children or had their first pregnancy after the age of 30
► Had late menopause, that is after the age of 52
► Have the BRCA 1 & 2 gene
Symptoms
Ovarian cancer symptoms are often mistaken for gastrointestinal problem. A patient could think she suffers from gastrointestinal disorder for years before ovarian cancer is diagnosed. Symptoms include a sense of indigestion and fullness even after a light meal.
Weight loss but an increase in the girth of the stomach.
Loss of appetite, feeling of fatigue
The urge to urinate and defecate frequently
Abnormal bleeding
Screening and precaution
This cancer is difficult to diagnose. If a patient reports with symptoms she will be asked to take the CA 125 test to see if she has the cancer.
Breast cancer
Who is at risk?
Women who-
► Never breast-fed
► Consume a lot of alcohol
► Have had other gynaecological cancers
► Have not had a child or who got pregnant after the age of 30
► Had their menstruation start early, that is, before the age of 12
► Who had their menopause late, that is, after the age of 52
► Had HRT done for more than five years
Symptoms
A lump in breast or armpit
Abnormal discharge from nipple in the form of bloody, milky or greenish fluid.
Puckering (like an orange peel), dimpling or redness of breast
Screening and precaution
The mammogram or mammography tests detect breast cancer. Take this test once every two years if you are in the 40-49 age group. If you are below this age group you do not need to take the test unless any symptoms appear. Breasts cancer feeds on oestrogen, which reduces in the body after menopause. So post-menopausal women are at lower risk. Get the tests done every three years after the age of 50.
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