Cancer in Women: New Paths For Early Detection
Cures for breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers are still years away, but seemingly every day there is more exciting news about the power of prevention and early detection. A better understanding of the root causes of these cancers along with an increased focus on healthy lifestyle practices and sophisticated screenings continues to give women power over the diseases.
For example ovarian cancer already has a 92% survival rate if diagnosed in the early stages. However, it surpasses even breast cancer as the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies. Its early symptoms are nonspecific ones including abdominal pain, bloating, and tiredness. This lack of urgent symptoms means that more than 2/3 of women aren’t diagnosed until the later stages when the survival rate drops to 20-30 percent. A study of 200,000 woman in the United Kingdom hopes to prove that the combination of a blood test for levels of a protein called CA125 along with an ultrasound will make it easier to find early ovarian cancer and result in fewer false positive tests.
In the 1950s, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among women. Widespread use of the Pap test means that currently, fewer than 4,000 American women a year die from it. However, the disease is still devastating in less developed nations. A better understanding of the role that human papilloma virus plays in causing cervical cancer could change that. A new DNA test that detects HPV is leading to cheaper, faster, more accurate, and easier to read tests that should help reduce those numbers all over the world.
Finally, as if lowering your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol weren’t reasons to get more exercise, there’s a strong link between increased physical activity and a decreased likelihood of death from breast cancer. A study of 14,000 women showed that those with a high level of fitness were a full three times less likely to die from breast cancer than those with a lower level of fitness.
Gynecological cancers that were once silent killers that struck from nowhere and showed no symptoms until they were dangerously advanced are more conquerable than ever. When it comes to living a long, healthy, cancer-free life, it seems that an ounce of prevention, plus a healthy dose of sophisticated detection, is nearly as valuable as a cure.
you say that “in the 1950s, cervical cancer was the leading cause of death among women.” what is your source for this?
thanks
kareem
That information came from the story referenced in the post. Click on “a blood test for levels of a protein called CA125″ for the story.
However, further research has not been able to substantiate the stastic. It is more accurate to say that it was the leading cause of cancer death among women, and the post has been updated to reflect that.