Cancer Prevention : Late menopause is a risk factor

There are certain type of cancers that mainly occur in women such as cancers of the breast, cervix, uterus, ovary, gestational trophoblastic tumors, uterine sarcoma, and rarely of the vagina and vulva.

Breast cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). lt occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is quite rare. Early menarche, late menopause, nulliparit, use of estrogen-containing oral contraceptive agents, family history of breast cancer, sedentary lifestyle are considered to be risk factors for breast cancer in females.

Cervical cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the cervix (the organ connecting the uterus and vagina). lt is usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms but can be found with regular Pap tests. HIV infection, sexual promiscuity, oral contraceptive use and tobacco smoking are also associated with increased risk of cervical cancer.

Endometrial cancer: Cancer that forms in the tissue lining the uterus (the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis in which a fetus develops.

Gestational trophoblastic tumour: Ovarian cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the ovary (one of a pair of female reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs, are formed). Most ovarian cancers are either ovarian epithelial carcinomas (cancer that begins in the cells on the surface of the ovary) or malignant germ cell tumors (cancer that begins in egg cells).

Uterine sarcoma: A rare type of uterine cancer that forms in muscle or other tissues of the uterus (the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis in which a fetus develops). Lt usually occurs after menopause.

Lung and oral cavity (head and neck cancer): Cancer that originates in the lungs or the head and neck region is usually associated with tobacco smoking (active or passive) and/or tobacco chewing. Human papilloma viruses can cause cancer of the oropharynx.

Vaginal cancer: Cancer that forms in the tissues of the vagina (birth canal). The vagina leads from the cervix (the opening of the uterus) to the outside of the body. The most common type of vaginal cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which starts in the thin, flat cells lining the vagina. Another type of vaginal cancer is adenocarcinoma, cancer that begins in glandular cells in the lining of the vagina.

Vulvar cancer: Cancer of the vulva (the external female genital organs, including the clitoris, vaginal lips, and the opening to the vagina.

(The doctor is MS (Gen), DNB (Surg), Mch (Surg, Onco), FRCS (Edin) Diploma in lap Surg (France) Chief Surgical Oncologist Vamsy1964@gmail.com 9848011421)