Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month raises awareness

In Indiana, September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month.

Local hospitals and centers are spreading the word to Bloomington residents on how to recognize the signs and prevent the possibility of contracting a gynecological cancer.

The symptoms, signs and risk factors of each gynecologic cancer differ for each infected woman. Some women show signs at an early age, while others have unnoticed symptoms.

Learning what to look for is important to cancer prevention.

The members of Planned Parenthood Indiana hope to shine a light on the importance of knowing the risks of gynecologic cancers and educating women on the Papincolau (Pap) and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) tests.

Planned Parenthood in Bloomington, located at 421 S. College Ave., is dedicated to improving women’s health and well-being, helping them make responsible choices and advocating on their behalf throughout the country, according to its website.

According to Monroe Primary Care, gynecological awareness is vital, especially in a college town.

“Because we live in Bloomington, a large college town, we see many students come through here.” said Kelli Marinan, member of Monroe Primary Care of Monroe Hospital. “To prevent more people from coming in, either because of pregnancy or STDs, we need to really raise awareness for college students.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 83,000 women in the United States were diagnosed with gynecologic cancer in 2008, resulting in 27,000 fatalities.

There are five common types of cancer: ovarian, cervical, uterine, vaginal and
endometrial.

“The most common cancer that women can contract is endometrial cancer,” said Dr. John Stutsman, the director of Bloomington Health Center. “One in 40 to 50 women in her lifetime are at risk.”

The second-most common is ovarian cancer, for which one in 70 women are at risk. One in 125 to 130 women are at risk for cervical cancer.

“Though cervical cancer is not as common, we emphasize the test for cervical cancer because it is easier to find early-onset cancerous cells,” Stutsman said.

To test for pre-cancer cells, the Pap and HPV tests are strongly recommended for women of all ages.

Stutsman said that with the invention of the Pap test in the late 1970s, the cervical cancer mortality rate has decreased more than 70 percent.
 
According to the CDC, women should begin receiving the annual Pap test and regular routine recommendations at the age of 21.

“The HPV test is different,” Stutsman said. “Not everyone with HPV has cancer. If a woman is tested in her early 20s, the risk of getting cancer decreases up to 70 to 90
percent.”

Because the tests for ovarian cancer are extremely invasive and not incredibly safe, Stutsman said, most gynecologists do not test until other signs appear.

For endometrial cancer, 90 percent of patients will show early abnormal bleeding if the illness is present, Stutsman said.

Medication and education are important in preventing the contraction of any gynecological cancer. The medication most doctors and gynecologists recommend is the Gardasil vaccine, Stutsman said.
 
According to the Gardasil website, the vaccine protects against many types of HPV. The recommended age to receive the vaccine is between the ages of 9 and 26.

“I tell all my patients to use Gardasil,” Stutsman said. “It conducted the largest clinical trials with the most effective and safe results.”

The vaccine has a 95 to 99 percent success rate because it develops strong antibodies for the cancer, Stutsman said.

He also said simple birth control decreases the risks of contracting endometrial and ovarian cancer by 50 to 80 percent.

Though medication and vaccines are good routines for a woman to practice to prevent cancer, education on gynecological cancer and health is the most important factor, according to Planned Parenthood.