Gynecological Cancer
About Gynecological cancer
There are several different types of gynecological cancer that require the care of a physician. Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview.
Cervical Cancer
What is Cervical Cancer?
There are two types of cervical cancer—squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Between 80 and 90 percent of all cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, but adenocarcinomas are more common among women between the ages of 20 and 30. More...
Diagnosing Cervical Cancer
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2008. With regular screenings, most women can avoid developing the condition.
Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV). HPV refers to a very common group of viruses that affect nearly half of all adults at some point in their lives. While not all women experience symptoms, certain types of HPV can cause changes to cervical cells, which can lead to genital warts, infections, and cancer.
Detecting HPV
Regular screenings, including Pap tests, help uncover cervical changes that could eventually lead to cancer. Not having regular Pap tests is a leading risk factor for cervical cancer. Other risk factors include:
- age—HPV most often occurs in women over age 40
- sexual history—having many sexual partners
- smoking
- weakened immune system—women with conditions that lower immunity or taking medications that suppress the immune system
To negate these risk factors, the ACS (www.cancer.org) recommends that women begin cervical cancer screening at age 21 or after becoming sexually active. Screening should be done annually with a standard Pap test, or every two years using the newer liquid-based Pap test.
Treating Cervical Cancer
If HPV has developed into cervical cancer, a Pap smear or other test will reveal cancerous cells. After diagnosis of cervical cancer, women have several options for treatment—including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, or a combination of all three methods.
Surgery is most often done to remove the cervix and uterus, but lymph nodes also may be removed to show the extent of the cancer. Radiation therapy is offered externally and internally, where radioactive implants are placed in the vagina for up to three days. Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells.
Endometrial Cancer
The lining of the uterus is called the endometrium. Cancer of the endometrium, the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs, is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the endometrium. Endometrioid cancer is a specific type of endometrial cancer.
Cancer of the endometrium is different from cancer of the muscle of the uterus, which is called sarcoma of the uterus. About 75 percent of all endometrial cancers are adenocarcinomas. Endometrial cancer is highly curable when found early. More...
What are the symptoms of endometrial cancer?
Consult a physician if you experience any/all of the following symptoms:
- bleeding or discharge not related to your periods (menstruation)
- post-menopausal bleeding
- difficult or painful urination
- pain during intercourse
- pain and/or mass in the pelvic area
- weight loss
What are risk factors for endometrial cancer?
The following have been suggested as risk factors for endometrial cancer:
- early menarche - starting monthly periods early - before the age of 12
- late menopause (after the age of 52)
- infertility (inability to become pregnant)
- never having children
- obesity
- being treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer
- More...
How is endometrial cancer diagnosed?
Diagnosis includes a medical history and physical exam, including a pelvic exam to feel the vagina, rectum, and lower abdomen for masses or growths. A Pap test may be requested as part of the pelvic exam. Several additional tests may be used to diagnose endometrial cancer. More...
Find out more about Endometrial Cancer »
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is a disease in which malignant cells are found in an ovary. There are three types of ovarian tumors, named for the tissue in which they are found: epithelial cell, germ cell, and stromal cell. [more...]
What is extra-ovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma (EOPPC)?
Extra-ovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma (EOPPC) is a cancer closely related to epithelial ovarian cancer. It occurs outside the ovary in the peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdomen. Because it occurs outside the ovary, women who have had their ovaries removed can still develop this type of cancer.
EOPPC can mimic ovarian cancer in terms of symptoms and can also cause an increase in the CA-125 tumor marker. Treatment is similar to that for ovarian cancer and includes surgery and chemotherapy.
Genetics of Ovarian Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the lifetime risk for a woman to develop breast cancer is 12.8 percent or one in eight, while the lifetime risk to develop ovarian cancer is a little greater than 1 percent (1.5 percent, or one in 67).
Approximately 5 percent to 10 percent of breast and ovarian cancers are due to known predisposing genetic factors. This means that the majority of breast and ovarian cancers are, in fact, not inherited.
Find out more about the genetics of ovarian cancer »
Uterine Cancer
Cancers that occur in each part of the uterus have their own names, such as cervical cancer or endometrial cancer, but are sometimes broadly defined as uterine cancer because the structure is part of the uterus. Cancer of the uterus spreads through the bloodstream or lymphatic system and is the most common cancer of the female reproductive tract. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 40,880 cases of cancer of the uterine corpus (body of the uterus) will be diagnosed in the US during 2005.
What are risk factors for uterine cancer?
The following have been suggested as risk factors for uterine cancer:
- age 50 or over
- history of endometrial hyperplasia
- estrogen replacement therapy (ERT)
- being overweight
- diabetes
- More...
What are the symptoms of uterine cancer?
The following are the most common symptoms of uterine cancer. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
- unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
- difficult or painful urination
- pain during sexual intercourse
- pain in the pelvic area
- More...
Diagnosing Uterine Cancer
When symptoms suggest uterine cancer, the following may be used to make a positive diagnosis:
- a detailed medical history - family and personal
- a thorough physical exam
- pelvic examination of the uterus, vagina, ovaries, bladder, and rectum (may include a Pap test)
- More....
Treatment for uterine cancer
Specific treatment for uterine cancer will be determined by your physician based on:
- your overall health and medical history
- extent of the disease
- your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- expectations for the course of the disease
- your opinion or preference
Find out more about methods of treatment »
Vaginal Cancer
Cancer of the vagina, a rare kind of cancer in women, is a disease in which malignant cells are found in the tissues of the vagina. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 2,210 cases of vaginal cancer will be diagnosed in the US in 2008.
There are several types of cancer of the vagina. The two most common are squamous cell cancer (squamous carcinoma) and adenocarcinoma. More...
Risk Factors
The following have been suggested as risk factors for vaginal cancer:
- age
Over two-thirds of women are 60 or older when diagnosed.
- exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) as a fetus (mother took DES during pregnancy)
- history of cervical cancer
- history of cervical precancerous conditions
- human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
- More...
What are the symptoms of vaginal cancer?
The following are the most common symptoms of vaginal cancer. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
- bleeding or discharge not related to menstrual periods
- difficult or painful urination
- pain during intercourse
- pain in the pelvic area
- More...
How is vaginal cancer diagnosed?
There are several tests used to diagnose vaginal cancer, including pelvic examination of the vagina, colposcopy, Pap test (also called Pap smear), computed tomography scan (CT or CAT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, or biopsy. More...
Treatment for vaginal cancer
Generally, there are three kinds of treatment available for patients with cancerous or precancerous conditions of the vagina:
surgery, including:
- laser surgery to remove the cancer, including LEEP (loop electroexcision procedure)
- local excision to remove the cancer
- (partial) vaginectomy to remove the vagina
chemotherapy (topical)
radiation therapy
Vulvar Cancer
Vulvar cancer is a malignancy that can occur on any part of the external organs, but most often affects the labia majora or labia minora. According the American Cancer Society, about 3,460 cases of cancer of the vulva will be diagnosed in the US in 2008. Cancer of the vulva is a rare disease, which accounts for 0.6 percent of all cancers in women, and may form slowly over many years. Nearly 90 percent of vulvar cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. Melanoma is the second most common type of vulvar cancer, usually found in the labia minora or clitoris. More...
What are risk factors for vulvar cancer?
The following have been suggested as risk factors for vulvar cancer:
- age - of the women who develop vulvar cancer, almost 85 percent are over age 50, and half are over age 70
- chronic vulvar inflammation
- infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV)
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- More...
What are the symptoms of vulvar cancer?
The following are the most common symptoms of vulvar cancer. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
- constant itching
- changes in the color and the way the vulva looks
- bleeding or discharge not related to menstruation
- severe burning/itching or pain
- skin of the vulva looks white and feels rough
The symptoms of vulvar cancer may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Consult a physician for diagnosis. More...
Diagnosis
Vulvar cancer is diagnosed by biopsy, removing a section of tissue for examination in a laboratory by a pathologist.
Treatment for vulvar cancer:
Treatment for patients with cancer of the vulva may include:
surgery, including:
- laser surgery - use of a powerful beam of light, which can be directed to specific parts of the body without making a large incision, to destroy abnormal cells
- excision - the cancer cells and a margin of normal appearing skin around the cancer is removed
- vulvectomy - surgical removal of part of all of the tissues of the vulvar
radiation therapy
chemotherapy
More...
Additional Resources
Listed below you will find some additional information regarding gynecologic cancers. If you cannot find the information in which you are interested, please visit the Health Library for additional information.
Hysterectomy
Ovarian Cancer and Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC)
Ovarian Cancer
Getting Back to Health after Cancer
Coping with Cancer
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