A cancer diagnosis is often associated with family medical history, lifestyle and the environment the individual is associated with.
Lifestyle choices like diet, weight, activity level, smoking, and drinking habits that increase the possible risk to get the disease can definitely be managed by an individual.
According to a research, one out of three women will suffer from cancer. In today's session, we are focused on the major types of cancer that most women suffer and possible treatment mechanisms for it.
Most Common Cancer that a Woman may Encounter in Any Phase of Her Life
According to the most recent report of CDC, 700,000 women were diagnosed with cancer of several categories in 2008, most with the types that follow ahead.
1. Breast Cancer
Breast cancer comes at the top among women of all races and Hispanic origin populations. It may occur at any age but the risk increases gradually with aging.
Some women have a high chance of breast cancer either due to the presence of BRAC1 gene that leads to cancer in near future or something associated with heredity.
About 26% of cancer associated with women is breast cancer and 15% of the 272,000 female cancer deaths that year. One out of eight women is prone to cancer of this category.
2. Colon and Rectal Cancer
Colon cancer is mostly encountered in women age 50 or older. People having the family history or polyps in their rectum or colon are reportedly been in the risk zone as seen in past few decades.
Mostly, being overweight, smoking, drinking, eating an excessive amount of fatty foods, being physically inactive are the peak reasons for it.
It accounted 10% of all the cancer cases and 9% of all deaths and the second among Hispanic women. You can stay away from this disease with early diagnosis as the abnormal cells grow in the colon continuously for 10 to 15 years.
3. Uterine Cancer
Hormonal change, particularly associated with the estrogen plays a key role in causing uterine cancer. Though uterine and endometrial cancer is two different terms, it is often considered the same.
Some of the risk factors include irregular menstrual periods, no pregnancies, taking estrogen therapy with progesterone, obesity, use of tamoxifen; as an aid of breast cancer, family history, and personal history.
It is accounted for 6% of all cancer cases.
4. Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Around 14% of the cancer is associated with lungs cancer and is close to the reverse of breast cancer as it can be lowered to a significant level. 80% of the lungs cancer can be avoided in women with certain change in the lifestyle.
Smokers are 10 to 2o times to get lungs cancer than nonsmokers. Some of the possible risk factors include second-hand smoking, radon gas, arsenic, tar, and soot.
Besides adopted a planned lifestyle with regular exercise, balanced diet, limitation in alcohol intake also aids in lung cancer prevention to a drastic level
5. Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is mostly seen in the woman who is sexually very active. It occurs in the woman who is infected with Human papillomavirus(HPV) during sexual intercourse.
It is commonly seen in those who have HIV-AIDs, poor nutrition, smoke or those who don't get a regular Pap tests.
Hence, a vaccine against HPV should be taken promptly with some necessary measures during sexual intercourse with multiple partners.
6. Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is beyond the gender as anyone exposed to sunlight can get skin cancer. People with fair skin and the one having red or blonde hair color are likely to be affected by it than one with dark skin color.
Hence, as an individual, preventing the exposure to the harmful UV rays is the better option than any other. Wearing long sleeves clothes, hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc can be a better option to avoid skin related problems.
Skin cancer is sometimes very difficult as it imitates the nature of pimples that usually occur on the skin. Hence, regular health examination including skin examination is the must.
7. Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is common in a woman once she gets older. Those who have never given birth, unexplained infertility, or who have delayed pregnancy after 30 can be the possible causes of ovarian cancer.
Women who used estrogen during hormone replacement therapy without progesterone are likely to get affected with it. To some extent family history also plays a key role in the cause.
Hence, a woman should be aware on the possible signs and symptoms developed promptly like abdominal swelling and pain, digestive problems, feeling to urinate all the time, etc. so that the cause can be cured in the early stage.
Treatment Mechanisms of Cancer in Women
Current treatment methods for all types of cancer is basically associated with surgery followed by chemotherapy or a combination of chemo and radiotherapy which literally depends on the type and stage of cancer.
Photodynamic therapy, laser therapy, and radiofrequency ablation are the additional techniques used in the treatment of lungs cancer.
Regular mammograms are crucial step to avoid breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends having the very test once a year once she crosses 45.
Regular follow up and appointments are must once the patient is free of possible forms of cancer as it can recur back in an individual any time.
Some Tips to Control Your Health and Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Here is a video on possible ways to prevent cancer. Make sure you know some of these:
- Keep yourself far from tobacco and tobacco-containing items.
- Maintain a healthy body weight with regular exercise or with a proper diet.
- Protection of skin is must once you are about to go on a walk during the sunny day.
- Family history along with past detection should be considered.
- Get a regular checkup and cancer screening tests.
- Avoid smoking as far as you can and limit the amount of alcohol you drink at a time.
Furthermore, not only female but male members of the family should also be sensitive to all the risk factors mentioned and visit the physician regularly so that the cause can be detected at the early stage.
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