The three most common reproductive cancers in women are:
Endometrial cancer. This type of female reproductive cancer occurs when the cells of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus (womb), grow out of control. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), endometrial cancer is the most common female reproductive cancer in the United States. In 2007, there will be nearly 40,000 newly diagnosed cases of endometrial cancer and the disease will cause about 7,400 deaths. Obesity is one of the greatest risk factors for developing endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer usually affects women between 60 and 70 years old. This condition is commonly called uterine cancer. However, it is important to note that endometrial cancer is merely a type of uterine cancer and that other, less common uterine cancers, such as uterine sarcoma, do exist. When detected and treated at an early stage, endometrial cancer has a very high (up to 94 percent) recovery rate.
Ovarian cancer. This type of female reproductive cancer originates in a woman’s ovary, and may affect both ovaries. The ovaries are two female reproductive organs that produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone as well as eggs (ova). They are located in the pelvis on either side of a woman’s uterus. The ovaries contain three types of tissue: the epithelial, germ cell and stromal. The majority of ovarian cancers begin in the epithelial cells located in the tissue that covers the ovaries. This cancer is known as epithelial ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is the eighth leading cancer among women, and the fifth leading cause of female cancer deaths, according to the ACS. Ovarian cancer claims more lives than any other women’s reproductive cancer. An estimated 22,500 new cases of this disease will be diagnosed in the United States in 2007 and the disease will be responsible for about 15,000 deaths.
When detected and treated at an early stage, the five-year survival rate of ovarian cancer is 94 percent. However, the disease is difficult to detect and less than 20 percent of all cases are detected in the earliest stage. In most cases, ovarian cancer is diagnosed only after the tumor growth has spread to tissues and organs beyond the ovaries.
Cervical cancer. This type of female reproductive cancer is characterized by the presence of many abnormal, malignant (cancerous) cells in the cervix (the bottom part of the uterus). The human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease (STD), is responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases. More than 90 percent of cervical cancers originate in the lining of the cervix. These cells do not appear suddenly. Rather, healthy cervical cells develop unusual precancerous changes over time, which can eventually turn into cancer.
Cervical cancer typically occurs during midlife, with half of patients diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 55 years. The ACS estimates that approximately 11,000 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2007. It was once a leading cause of death among females, but only 3,600 American women are expected to die of this disease in 2007. Certain populations, such as Vietnamese American, black and Hispanic women, have an increased likelihood of developing cervical cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The five-year survival rate of cervical cancer is 73 percent. When the disease is detected and treated in the early stages, the five-year survival rate increases to 92 percent.
Other, less common types of gynecologic cancers include:
Vaginal cancer. This type of female reproductive cancer occurs when the cells of the vagina grow out of control. There are many different types of vaginal cancer. However, approximately 85 to 90 percent of these cancers are squamous cell carcinomas that originate in the vagina’s epithelial lining. These cancers, which typically occur near the cervix in the upper part of the vagina, do not appear suddenly. Instead, healthy cells develop unusual precancerous changes over time, which can eventually turn into cancer.
Vaginal cancer is rare. According to the ACS, it accounts for only 3 percent of all gynecological cancers. An estimated 2,100 new cases of this disease will be diagnosed in 2007 in the United States. The disease is expected to claim nearly 800 lives in the same year. If detected and treated in its beginning stages, the five-year survival rate for vaginal cancer is 73 to 96 percent.
Vulvar cancer. Also called cancer of the vulva, this type of female reproductive cancer typically affects the inner edges of a woman’s labia majora or minora (folds of tissue that surrounds the vagina). Occasionally, vulvar cancer originates on the clitoris (a very sensitive tissue in the vagina that swells with blood when sexually stimulated) or inside Bartholin glands (small glands that produce mucus and are located on both sides of the vaginal opening). According to the ACS, more than 90 percent of vulvar cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, which typically form slowly over the course of several years.
Vulvar cancer accounts for 4 percent of gynecological cancers and 0.6 percent of all female cancers in the United States, according to the ACS. The ACS estimates that approximately 3,500 vulvar cancers will be diagnosed and nearly 900 patients will die of this condition in the United States in 2007. When detected early, vulvar cancer is highly curable. When the lymph nodes have not been affected, the five-year survival rate of this disease is 90 percent.
Uterine sarcoma. Cancers that originate in the connective tissues of a woman’s uterus are called uterine sarcomas. Connective tissues may include fat, muscle, bone and fibrous tissue (the material that composes ligaments and tendons). The most common type of uterine sarcoma is carcinosarcoma, which begins in the endometrium and has features of carcinomas and sarcomas. It is important to note that noncancerous tumors called benign uterine fibroid tumors may also develop in the connective tissues of a woman’s uterus. These masses are not related to uterine sarcomas.
Although the ACS estimates that 40,000 new cases of uterine cancer will be diagnosed in 2007 in the United States, uterine sarcomas will only account for 2 to 4 percent of the new cases. Endometrial cancers will account for the remainder of new cases.
According to the ACS, the estimated number of new cases of women’s reproductive cancers in 2007 is as follows:
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