Happy Wednesday one and all!
Fifty three women are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer
every day in the UK and twenty one die. The Eve Appeal was launched in 2005 to
raise awareness of these cancers as well as raise funds for research into these
cancer types.
I wanted to focus on The Eve Appeal today and shine a light on
all that they do.
Gynaecological Cancer is the group term for five cancer types
that originate in the female reproductive system:
*Cervical
Cancer – cancer of the cervix (neck of the womb). I have written extensively
about this cancer type. It can affect women of all ages but is commonly found
in women aged between thirty and forty five. It is a largely preventable cancer
type as I like to mention as much as possible. Key symptoms of cervical cancer
are:
-Any unusual
bleeding from the vagina particularly after sex and after the menopause
-Persistent
vaginal discharge that is blood stained or smells unpleasant.
The UK has a
very successful screening process for cervical cancer involving smear tests and
this is estimated to save around four thousand lives every year. The HPV
vaccine will hopefully lead to even more prevented cases of cervical cancer in
the future but at the moment it is hugely vital that you have your regular
smear tests to pick up on any abnormal cells and treat them before they develop
into cervical cancer.
*Ovarian
Cancer – cancer of the ovaries accounts for more deaths in the UK then the
other four gynaecological cancers put together. Around six thousand five
hundred women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK every year and around
four thousand two hundred die. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are hard to identify and it can be hard to diagnose the condition until it has spread to
other parts of the body but the key early signs of ovarian cancer are:
-persistent
pelvic and abdominal pain
-Increased
abdominal size/persistent bloating
-Difficulty
eating and feeling full quickly
-Needing to urinate
more frequently
These
symptoms are not just indicators for ovarian cancer but should always be
checked out by a doctor to rule out anything serious such as ovarian cancer.
*Vaginal
Cancer – cancer of the vagina is very rare and there are about two hundred and
fifty cases seen in the UK every year. It is rarely found in ladies under the
age of forty but most commonly found in women over the age of sixty. Changes to
the vaginal lining called Vaginal Intrapithelial Neoplasia (VAIN) can give you
a higher chance of developing vaginal cancer although the changes are not
enough to make cells cancerous on their own. Cervical screening can sometimes
pick up on these changes but this is not guaranteed as cervical cells are
sampled during a smear test rather then vaginal cells. The HPV vaccine is able
to provide some protection against vaginal cell changes. Symptoms of vaginal
cancer or VAIN are are but can include:
-intermenstrual
bleeding or bleeding after the menopause
-bleeding
after sex
-vaginal
discharge with a strong odour or that is blood stained
-pain during
sex
-A lump or
growth in the vagina
-A vaginal
itch that won’t go away
20% of women
diagnosed with vaginal cancer do not have any of the above symptoms and most of
the above symptoms can be caused by something else so it is hugely vital that
you visit your doctor for a check up if you feel something isn’t quite right.
Vulva Cancer
– Vulva is the term used for the female external genital organs and vulval
cancer is another rare cancer type with just over a thousand UK women diagnosed
yearly. Around 80% of the women diagnosed are aged over sixty but the
precancerous condition Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia (VIN) can be found in
women aged between thirty to fifty. Signs of vulva cancer can include:
-a lasting
itch
-pain or
soreness
-thickened,
raised, red, white or dark patches of skin
-a sore of growth
on the skin
-burning
sensation when you urinate.
-vaginal
discharge or bleeding
-a mole that
changes shape or colour
-swelling or
a lump
As with most
symptoms, these ones can indicate something other than cancer of the vulva but
it is still vitally important to get them checked by a doctor should they
arise.
Womb Cancer –
uterine or endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer found in UK
women and changes in our lifestyles mean it is on the increase. It is almost
always curable as long as it is found in the early stages. The key signs of
womb cancer are:
-vaginal
bleeding after the menopause
-intermenstrual
bleeding.
Any abnormal
bleeding should be investigated by your GP immediately to rule out anything
life threatening.
The Eve
Appeal works hard to fund world class research into these cancer types at the
Department of Women’s Cancers which is based at UCH in London. The research
benefits women across the world and The Eve Appeal are consistently
contributing about 15% of the total income used for research. Major
breakthroughs are being achieved and the research is pioneering new ways to
screen for gynaecological cancers as well as diagnose them early, prevent and
treat them. This all leads to thousands of lives being saved every year.
Ladies I
cannot stress enough how important it is to get to know what is normal for your
body, especially your reproductive system. By learning what is normal for you,
you will be able to notice when something is not quite right and by working
that out and visiting a doctor to get the abnormality checked, cancer can be diagnosed
quicker. The earlier cancer is found, the easier it is to treat. MAKE SURE YOU
HAVE REGULAR SMEARS TOO!!!
For more information
on gynaecological cancers and The Eve Appeal, please visit.
www.eveappeal.org.uk
This post is
dedicated to my Auntie/Nouna Gina who died of ovarian cancer in September 1994.
She is missed every day.
xxx
