Women And Cancer: Are You At Risk?

If "being a woman" could protect you from being sick, the world would surely be a better place, for women at least. Of course, this is far from being true. You will be surprised how exposed women are of getting some diseases, which is especially true for cancers.

It is very important to know cancers in women are more than just the cancers of the female genital tract. In fact, the three most common cancers in women are not in the genital tract — breast cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer are the most common. Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13 percent of all deaths) in 2008.

About 30 percent of cancer deaths are due to these behavioral and dietary risks:

• High body mass index
• Low fruit and vegetable intake
• Lack of physical activity
• Tobacco use (which causes 22 percent of cancer death and 71 percent of global lung cancer deaths)
• Alcohol use.

Cancers causing viral infections such as HBV/HCV and HPV are responsible for up to 20 percent of cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries.

The Three Most Common Cancers in Women

Breast cancer

 Breast cancer is the cancer that forms in breast tissues. A lot of women know about breast cancer but they have no idea how it occurs and if they are at risk for having breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women living in the United States. The risk for breast cancer is 13% in 2012 according to the American Cancer Society. The risk factors can be grouped into three categories.

Significantly higher risk

• Personal history of cancer in one breast increases the chances of developing a new breast cancer by 3 folds.

Moderately higher risks include:

• Age (77% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over age 50, almost 50% are age 65 and older.)
• Direct family history (having a first degree relative with breast cancer like your sister, mother, or daughter)
• Genetics (Carriers of breast cancer genes – BRCA1 or BRCA2. You have an 85% chance of developing breast cancer if you have either of these genes)
• Breast lesions (a personal history of breast biopsy results showing atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ)

Slightly higher risks include:

• Distant family history
• Previous breast biopsy with abnormal results
• Early menarche
• Increase age at childbirth ( Women that give birth to their first child after the age of 35)
• Late menopause
• Overweight
• Presence of other cancer in the family.
• Long term use of hormone replacement therapy
• Alcohol use

In early stages of breast cancer, women usually have no symptoms. These symptoms show as the mass gets bigger. Symptoms/Signs of breast cancer include

• Breast lump which can benign.
• Pain in the breast. Most breast cancer lumps are painless but this does not exclude pain as a symptom.
• Indentation on the breast
• Size, texture, contour, and temperature changes of the breast.
• Nipple discharge
• Dimpling, retraction, ulceration, or itching of the nipple.

Read More: Breast Cancer Treatment: Side Effects and Risks

To increase the chances of early breast cancer detection, all women are recommended to perform a yearly mammogram once they reach age 35. If they have a family history of breast cancer (be it first degree or distant relatives), they should do the exam at 5-10 years earlier). Self-breast exams (SBEs) are also encouraged to detect any abnormal mass that could be present on the breast. SBEs should be implemented from puberty.

Lung Cancer Is Not Just A Man's Disease

Lung cancer is presumed by many to be a “man’s disease”. Lung cancer is actually not only the second most common cancer in women; it is also the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the United States. The incidence of lung cancer increases every year.

Exposure to certain chemicals and second hand smoking may be the cause in this case.

Symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain that gets worse on inspiration
• Fatigue
• Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
• Symptoms from other systems due to spread of the cancer from the lung.

Now that the risk factors are known, lung cancer can be prevented.

• Stop smoking
• Avoid secondhand smoke
• Healthy diet
• Exercise

Deaths from cancer worldwide have been estimated to be 13.1 million in 2030 and are projected to continue rising.

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the cancer of the colon (large intestine) and the rectum. It is the third most common cancer in both women and men. The risk factors for developing colorectal cancer include:

• Age (being older than 50 increases your risk)
• Personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative colitis)
• Family history of colorectal cancer or polyps
• Presence of a genetic syndrome like Familial adenomatous polyposis, or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).
• Lifestyle: This plays an important role. Lack of exercise, low fiber and high fat diet, low vegetable, obesity, alcohol, and tobacco use.

Colorectal cancer is usually asymptomatic. Symptoms might start showing later a the cancer progresses. Symptoms/signs of colorectal cancer include:

• Blood in/on your stool or rectal bleeding.
• Abdominal pain
• Unexplainable weight loss.

Colorectal cancer can be prevented and early detection is the key to preventing death. Routine screening is very important especially if you have a family history of polyps or cancer. Once you turn 50, it is advisable to do a colonoscopy and depending on that result, follow up screening can be done. The risk can also be reduced by exercising, limiting/stopping alcohol use, eating less fatty foods and more fruits and vegetables.

Cervical cancer

This cancer occurs as a result of abnormal cell growth in the cervix. It is treatable if detected early. It is caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV. This virus can be gotten by having sexual intercourse with someone who has it. Many types of this virus exist but not all of them cause cancer. Some of them may not cause symptoms, so you can be infected for years and not know it. This is why it is advisable to have Pap test done yearly when you start having sexual intercourse.

Symptoms include:

• Vaginal bleeding
• Dyspareunia (pain during sex)
• Vaginal discharge

Read More: Cervical Cancer: Treatment, Symptoms and Causes

You are at an increased risk of having cervical cancer if you:

• Have the type of HPV that causes cancer
• Have multiple sex partners and have unprotected sex.
• Have an immune problem like HIV.
• Have been exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) prenatally.
• Smoke

Awareness about these cancers especially breast cancer is increasing and it is very important that we know the risks associated with these cancers. Early detection is the key to avoid cancer related deaths.