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Cancers that originate in the female reproductive system are called women’s reproductive or gynecologic cancers. Cancer occurs when damaged DNA promotes growth of malignant cells in a particular site in the body. For instance, endometrial cancer, the most common female reproductive cancer, is caused by the abnormal growth of cancerous cells in the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus). Other women’s reproductive cancers include:

• Ovarian cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Vaginal cancer
• Vulvar cancer
• Uterine sarcoma

In addition to being named according to their primary site (the organ or tissue in which cancer first appears), cancers are further classified by the cell’s appearance under a microscope. For instance, the two main types of cervical cancer include:

• Squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer composed of cells that resemble the thin, flat squamous cells that line the endocervix (the part of the cervix that is closest to the uterine body).
  
  
• Adenocarcinoma. Cancer that develops from the gland cells that produce mucus in the endocervix.

Each year, approximately 78,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cancers affecting the reproductive organs, according to the American Cancer Society.

Cancer can affect any of the following parts of the reproductive system:

• Ovaries. Two female reproductive organs that produce eggs (ova) and the reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone.
  
  
• Uterus. Commonly called the womb, the uterus is the major female reproductive organ in which the fetus lives during gestation.
  
  
• Endometrium. The inner lining of the uterus.
  
  
• Cervix. The lower end of the uterus that opens into the vagina.
  
  
• Vagina. Also called the birth canal, the vagina is a flexible, muscular tube that connects the uterus to the vulva.
  
  
• Vulva. The female external genital organs that open into the vagina.

The prognosis (predicted outlook for survival) of cancer depends on the type, location and stage of the cancer. The stage indicates the extent of the disease, or how widespread the cancer is in the body.

A cancer specialist such as a gynecological oncologist is best equipped to treat gynecologic cancers. This is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist (ObGyn) who has an additional three to four years of specialized training in treating gynecologic cancers.

When choosing an ObGyn oncologist, patients should inquire if this specialized training was received from an American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology-approved program. Such programs include training in the biology and pathology of gynecologic cancers. They also include training in the various forms of treatment for these diseases, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and experimental treatments.