Arbor Health and Life Publications

One in 91 women will get ovarian cancer, compared with 1 in 8 for breast cancer. But although it is much less common than breast cancer, ovarian cancer is still one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women.

Ovarian cancer is especially deadly because symptoms are not specific and are often the same as those caused by other conditions. They frequently don't show up until the disease is advanced, often after it has spread to other organs in the body.

What symptoms should I look out for?

Common signs include:

• Bloating.
• Pelvic or abdominal pain.
• Trouble eating or a feeling of fullness.
• Constipation.
• Back pain.
• Feeling like you need to urinate right away.
• Pain during sex.
• A swollen belly combined with weight loss.

Factors that can increase your risk for ovarian cancer include:

• Your age. The disease is most common in women 55 years and older, though younger women can get it too.
• Your pregnancy history. Women who have never been pregnant or never had a full-term pregnancy, or those who had their first full-term pregnancy after age 35, are at higher risk.
• Your weight. Being at an unhealthy weight increases risk.
• Your personal or family medical history. Having a close female relative with ovarian cancer or a family or personal history of breast, uterine or colorectal cancer raises your risk.
• If you carry certain genes. These include the breast cancer genes.
• Your race/ethnicity. White women and women with Ashkenazi Jewish or Eastern European backgrounds are at higher risk.
• If you have endometriosis.
• If you smoke.

Sources: American Cancer Society; National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

Cervical cancer: When to get screened

Cervical cancer screenings save lives. You can help protect your own life by following guidelines for regular screening. Cervical cancer begins in the cells of the cervix, which is at the lower part of the uterus.

Screening tests

Early detection may lead to successful treatment. Two types of tests are often done to help prevent cervical cancer or to find it early.

1. The HPV test looks for a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus). This virus can cause cells to change. The test will show if you have one of the types of HPV that is more likely to lead to cervical cancer.

2. Pap tests, or Pap smears, can also find abnormal cervical cells before they become cancerous. Removing these precancerous cells prevents cervical cancer over 95% of the time.

The current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for most women are that women ages 21 to 29 should get a Pap test every three years. Women 30 to 65 years old should get one of the following:

• A Pap test every three years.
• An HPV test every five years.
• A Pap test and HPV test together (called co-testing) every five years.
• Women over 65 should talk to their doctor about whether they need to keep getting screened for cervical cancer.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Office on Women's Health; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Categories: Cervical Cancer