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Maintain Your Gynecologic Health with Education and Early Detection
Cancer is a word used to define a collection of diseases that
share one unique characteristic - the abnormal growth of
cells. Our bodies are made up of cells, with each one containing
23 pairs of chromosomes. Distributed amongst the 46 chromosomes
are approximately 300,000 - 500,000 genes. The genes contribute
to how we grow, what we look like, and how we behave. In normal
cells, the chromosomes reproduce every time the cell divides.
Occasionally, something goes wrong, and a number of genes are
altered. When this happens, the cells escape from the normal
controls of growth, and they multiply until they form a mass of
cells, usually referred to as a tumor.
Some tumors are benign and are composed of cells which resemble
the normal cells of that organ. Although they may form a large
mass, they do not spread. However, when cells undergo malignant
change, they look "wild" under a microscope, and
they can invade nearby normal tissue and spread to other parts
of the body. Metastasis is the word used to define the spreading
of such a tumor which is called cancer.
Cancers that develop in the various organs manifest themselves
in different ways, which is why each cancer has a unique way of
being diagnosed. For example, breast cancer is detected by changes
seen on mammograms, and cervical cancer usually produces abnormalities
detected by Pap smears. Once a cancer is diagnosed, it is given
a stage indicating how advanced the tumor is. How a cancer is
treated depends on the type and stage of the cancer.
Gynecologic cancers attack a woman's reproductive organ(s)
including the cervix, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina
and vulvar. They are named according to the organ of origin or
can be classified by the kind of tissue in which they arise.
Each year approximately 82,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed
with cancers affecting the reproductive organs. Although they
are often discussed as a group, gynecologic cancers have significant differences in etiology, prevention,
detection, treatment and likelihood of a cure.
Biomedical research has discovered that some genes, called
oncogenes, promote the growth of cancer. You can acquire these
genetic mutations during life (e.g. through smoking, aging, or
environmental influences) or you can inherit these mutations from
your parents or grandparents. So far, only a few of the specific
genes leading to reproductive cancers have been identified. Knowing
your family history can increase your chance of early diagnosis
and can help you take action towards prevention. The knowledge
that some cancers are linked together and run in your family can
help you know what other diseases you should be screened for such
as breast or colon cancers. Your physician can determine an appropriate
screening and prevention program based on your family's
history of cancer and other risk factors.
Detection and treatment of gynecologic cancers require physicians
who are trained specifically in this area. Gynecologic oncologists
are cancer specialists whose training is first that of an obstetrician/gynecologist.
These physicians then train for an additional three to four years
in the treatment of gynecologic cancers (surgery, radiation therapy,
chemotherapy, and experimental treatments) as well as the biology
and pathology of gynecologic cancer.
This training is only available in a limited number of medical
centers around the country. Physicians who complete this training are able to offer
patients the therapy or combination of therapies most likely to
be successful, without fragmenting care among many physicians.
Gynecologic oncologists practice in a variety of settings including
teaching hospitals, cancer centers, regional and local hospitals,
and private offices.
Gynecologic oncologists advise women with the following symptoms to seek medical attention as soon as possible:
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