Who is at Risk?
While all women are at risk for gynecologic cancer,
some factors can increase a woman's risk. Knowing
your own risk for gynecologic cancer is one
of the best ways to maintain your gynecologic
health. How patients understand and translate
health risks impacts their decision-making
when it comes to treatment options. Genetic
testing and counseling for ovarian cancer and
breast cancer risk offers many benefits to
patients, including implementing preventative
treatment options and/or lifestyle changes
that can reduce a person's risk of having cancer.
To
aid patients in assessing their cancer risk,
Penn offers a Cancer
Risk Evaluation Program for
breast and ovarian cancer at the Abramson
Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania,
Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania
Hospital and Penn Medicine at Radnor.
The risk factors for each type of gynecologic
cancer are different. One of the most important
risk factors for ovarian
cancer is family history. Talk with your
doctor if you have a sister, aunt or mother
who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
As you age, your risk of ovarian cancer increases,
particularly at menopause. Women who haven't
borne children or have infertility problems
are at higher risk, while pregnancy decreases
the risk.
Risk factors for cervical
cancer include
smoking, early age of first intercourse, a high
number of sexual partners, and infection with
HIV. However, woman without any of these risk
factors have developed cervical cancer. An
annual gynecological exam, including a Pap
test, reduces your risk as it allows early
detection of cervical cancer when it's most
treatable.
For uterine cancer, risk factors include
obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, use of
certain hormones or drugs and late menopause.
You also have a slightly higher risk if you haven't
been pregnant.
The risk factors for vulvar
cancer --
a very curable type of cancer -- include diabetes,
advanced age and chronic irritation of the
vulva.
Extremely rare, vaginal
cancer is usually
found in elderly women and is treated with radiation
therapy. Also very rare, cancer
of the fallopian tubes has risk factors similar
to those for ovarian cancer.
Learn more about Penn Cancer
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