Gynecologic Cancers
Cervical Cancer
The cancer is caused by several types of a virus called human papillomaviruses (HPV). HPV spreads through sexual contact. Most women's bodies are able to fight this infection. But sometimes the virus leads to cancer. You're at higher risk of cervical cancer if you smoke, have many children, have many sex partners, use birth control pills for a long time, or have HIV infection
Screening
The cancer may not cause any symptoms at first, but later, you may have pelvic pain or bleeding from the vagina. It usually takes several years for normal cells in the cervix to turn into cancer cells. A test called a Pap smear is very effective in screening for cervical cancer.
Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer
When cancer starts in the vagina, it is called vaginal cancer. The vagina, also called the birth canal, is the hollow, tube-like channel between the bottom of the uterus and the outside of the body.
When cancer forms in the vulva, it is vulvar cancer. The vulva is the outer part of the female genital organs. It has two folds of skin, called the labia. Vulvar cancer most often occurs on the inner edges of the labia.
When vaginal and vulvar cancers are found early, treatment is most effective.
Ovarian Cancer
This cancer usually occurs in women over age 50 but can affect younger women. It causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system and is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the developed world. Its cause is unknown.
Screening
The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better the chance for recovery. But ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Many times, women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage and hard to treat. To date, there is no effective screening regimen for ovarian cancer. More than half of women with ovarian cancer have advanced-stage disease at the time of diagnosis.
Ovarian Cancer Fact Sheet (CDC)
Uterine and Endometrial Cancer
All women are at risk for uterine cancer, and the risk increases with age. Most uterine cancers are found in women who are going through, or who have gone through menopause—the time of life when your menstrual periods stop.
Each year, approximately 50,600 women in the United States get uterine cancer. It is the fourth most common cancer in women in the United States and it is the most commonly diagnosed gynecologic cancer.