Cancers Of The Female Reproductive Tract
- Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 6:43
- Health Care, Women's Health
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Cancer is a deadly disease and is of many types. Cancers of the female reproductive tract include uterine cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer. While uterine cancer is the most common type of cancer of the female reproductive tract, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer are deadlier.
Types of cancers of the female reproductive tract:
This is perhaps the most common type of cancer of the female reproductive tract and is also known as endometrial cancer. In most cases, it is known to afflict a woman after the age of 55.
More than 400,000 women are diagnosed with endometrial cancer and it is accountable for 6% of all types of cancers in women. Major risk factors for this type of cancer are late menopause, early menstruation, never having been pregnant, prolonged exposure to the hormone estrogen and the use of certain oral contraceptives. Treatment options for uterine cancer include hysterectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormonal treatments.
Cervical cancer is known to afflict over 13,500 women each year but is completely curable. More than 80% of cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease.
This can develop even when a woman is in her 20s or 30s. Major risk factors for this type of cancer of the female reproductive tract include many sex partners, intercourse before the age of 18 and smoking. Treatment options for cervical cancer include hysterectomy, cryosurgery, electrocautery and laser vaporization.
Ovarian cancer is considered to be deadlier than both cervical and uterine cancer and cannot be detected with the help of a Pap test or other screening techniques. It is often diagnosed in its late stages which make surgery and other treatment options unsuccessful.
Over 20,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year of which more than 12,000 die. Major risk factors for ovarian cancer include never having been pregnant, heredity and age. Since there are no warning signs for ovarian cancer, women with close relatives or with a mutant gene should go in for regular pelvic exams. Treatment options for ovarian cancer include chemotherapy and surgery.
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