From unusual bleeding to pain during sex… we reveal the signs of the 5 female cancers

A generation of women risk dying of embarrassment, because they are ignoring the symptoms of gynaecological cancers, experts today warned.

The research shows 40 per cent of women felt there was a greater stigma around gynaecological cancers than other forms of the disease.

And it is this stigma, which the charity warns, is putting women off speaking to their GPs about symptoms of the diseases.

One in four of the respondents said they were put off talking to their doctor because they didn’t want to discuss their sexual history.

Here, we reveal the five different gynaecological cancers, and how to spot the signs and symptoms…

WOMB CANCER
This form of the disease is often referred to as cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer or uterine cancer.

It is cancer that affects the lining of the womb, and is the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK.

Each year cases of the disease increase in number, as lifestyle changes put more women at risk.

More than 8,400 women are diagnosed in the UK each year, according to The Eve Appeal.

If womb cancer is caught in the early stages it is almost always curable, so it is vital that women know the symptoms to look for, and feel confident discussing them with their GP.

The earliest signs of the disease are:

• vaginal bleeding after the menopause

• vaginal bleeding between periods

The charity advises: ‘If you have any abnormal bleeding tell your GP straight away.

‘If this abnormal bleeding continues or worsens then return to your GP and explain this to them.

‘It is unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem but it is important to be checked out.’

There are a number of factors, which increase a woman’s risk of developing womb cancer.

They include:

• being over 50 years old

• being overweight – the risk of uterus cancer increases rapidly in women with a Body Mass Index of more than 25

• having diabetes

As with all forms of the disease, there are things women can do to lessen their risk of developing womb cancer.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercise and physical activity, to prevent becoming overweight (having a BMI of 25 or more) and preventing the development of type 2 diabetes, can reduce the risk.

In addition, use of a combined oral contraceptive, can help, according to The Eve Appeal.

But the key to surviving uterus cancer remains catching the disease before it advances and spreads.

OVARIAN CANCER
Ovarian cancer is where the disease originates from the cells in and around the ovary.

The ovaries form part of a woman’s reproductive system, storing her supply of eggs.

Each month an egg is released into the womb, ready for fertilisation.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in women and accounts for more deaths in the UK than all of the other gynaecological cancers combined.

More than 7,000 women are diagnosed with the disease, according to the charity Target Ovarian Cancer.

The Eve Appeal estimates around 4,200 women lose their lives to the disease each year.

But, the charity’s website states: ‘The good news is that if diagnosed at an early stage, the outcome is good.

‘However, because some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer are similar to those seen in more common conditions, it can be difficult to diagnose.’

As a result, vast swathes of patients are not diagnosed until the disease has spread, increasing the likelihood they will succumb to the disease.

In addition, it is important to note, most tumours found on the ovaries are not cancerous, but benign.

One in five ovarian masses found in women still having their periods, are cancerous, according to Target Ovarian Cancer.

That figure, the charity notes, rises in post-menopausal women to one in every two tumours.

In the majority of cases, ovarian cancer affects women over the age of 50.

But each year, around 1,000 younger women are diagnosed with the disease.

The key early signs and symptoms to be aware of are:

• persistent pelvic and abdominal pain

• persistent bloating

• difficulty eating and feeling full quickly

• urinary symptoms – a need to pass water more often than usual

These symptoms should raise concerns if they are frequent (happen more than 12 times a month), are persistent and new, not normal for you.

It is likely that these symptoms may not be a sign of ovarian cancer, but many patients experience the symptoms in the early stages of their disease.

Approximately one in every two women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime.

Though the cause of the disease isn’t yet properly understood, age and having a family history of ovarian cancer, increases a woman’s risk.

Eight out of 10 ovarian cancer cases are ‘sporadic’, according to Target Ovarian Cancer.

The remaining two in 10 cases are thought to be linked to the inherited ‘faulty’ BRCA gene.

Carriers of the faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, like Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, are also at greater risk of developing breast cancer.

CERVICAL CANCER
Cancer of the cervix – the neck of the womb – affects women of all ages, but is most common in those aged 30 to 45 years old.

The disease is largely preventable, with screening programmes where women have regular smear tests, detecting pre-cancerous cell, which indicate an increased risk of cancer if they remain untreated.

In the future the HPV vaccine will prevent most forms of cervical cancer, but until a time when all women have had the vaccination, screening will remain to play a vitally important role.

As with all gynaecological cancers, the sooner cervical cancer is diagnosed, the better a woman’s chances of survival.

Important early symptoms are:

• any unusual bleeding from the vagina, particularly after sex, or after the menopause when your periods have stopped

• persistent vaginal discharge that is blood-stained or smells unpleasant

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by the common, sexually transmitted infection, the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Most women will have HPV at some point in their lives, though for most the virus clears up of its own accord.

But, where the virus doesn’t go away, there is a risk of abnormal cells developing, which could morph into cancer over time.

To lessen the risk of developing the disease:

• go for cervical screening when invited

• have the HPV vaccine, if offered

• if you smoke, try to quit

• use a condom to reduce the risk of contracting HPV

A cross section of vulval cancer under the microscope. Around 1,000 cases of the disease are diagnosed in the UK each year

Even if you have had the HPV vaccine and have a normal cervical smear result, it is vital you raise symptoms with a doctor.

VULVAL CANCER

Vulvar cancer is one of the rarest forms of the disease, with around 1,000 cases diagnosed in the UK each year.

Eighty per cent of those are in women aged over 60, while the pre-cancerous form of the condition – vulval intraepithelial neoplasia – tends to be diagnosed in those aged 30 to 50.

Symptoms of vulval cancer include:

• a lasting itch pain or soreness

• thickened, raised, red, white or dark patches on the skin of the vulva

• an open sore or growth on the skin

• burning pain when passing urine

• vaginal discharge or bleeding

• a mole on the vulva that changes shape or colour a lump or swelling in the vulva

While all these symptoms can also be a sign of other, more common conditions, it is vital to see your GP if any persist.

The HPV vaccine is among the greatest protection available to the disease, as many forms of vulval cancer are triggered by the virus.

VAGINAL CANCER

Vaginal cancer is a very rare form of the disease, with just 250 cases diagnosed in the UK each year, according to The Eve Appeal.

As with all gynaecological cancers, it is most common in older women, in this case those over 60, while it is extremely rare in those aged under 40.

A condition called vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, where there are changes to the cells in the lining of the vagina, can mean you’re at increased risk of the disease.

The condition only triggers cancer where it is not treated.

Cervical screening smear tests can help detect any changes in the cells in the lining of the womn.

And the HPV vaccine offers protection as vaginal cancer can be caused by the HPV virus.

Early symptoms of vaginal cancer are:

• bleeding when you are not having a period or bleeding after the menopause – this is the most common sign

• you may have bleeding after sex

• vaginal discharge that smells or is blood stained – around three in 10 women have this symptom

• pain during sex

• a lump or growth in the vagina that your or your doctor can feel

• a vaginal itch that won’t go away

As many as one in two women with vaginal cancer will have no symptoms at all.

For more information about these cancers, visit The Eve Appeal and Target Ovarian Cancer.

Written by Sam Matthew for The Daily Mail, September 15, 2015

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