September is Gynecologic and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
9/23/2014
September is Gynecologic and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, spotlighting the five types of cancer that affect a woman's reproductive organs: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. As a group, these cancers are referred to as gynecologic cancers.
Each gynecologic cancer is unique, with different symptoms and risk factors, and they are difficult to detect because the signs and symptoms can be common to other female issues like menstruation.
Making prevention more challenging, there are limited screening opportunities for gynecologic cancers – except cervical cancer, which can be detected by the standard Pap smear. However, the Pap smear only detects cervical cancer, not any other gynecologic cancers.
“Because of this, women must pay attention to their bodies and know what their ‘normal’ is in order to recognize warning signs and seek medical care,” said Georgia CORE Vice President Angie Patterson. “Be aware of abnormal signs or symptoms and know when it is important to discuss these issues with a healthcare provider. Of course, regular checkups and exams are critical for women.”
Here are a few facts* about Gynecologic Cancers in Georgia:
• Cervical Cancer – 8.1/100,000 women incidence rate; 2.7/100,000 women mortality rate (higher than national rate);
8 clinical trials in Georgia#
• Ovarian Cancer – 12.8/100,000 women incidence rate; 8.4/100,000 women mortality rate (higher than national rate);
15 clinical trials in Georgia#
• Uterine Cancer -19.6/100,000 women incidence rate; 3.8/100,000 women mortality rate (lower than national rate);
1 clinical trial in Georgia#
Because of Georgia’s high incidence rate of cervical cancer, Cervical Cancer Screening is a main focus of Georgia’s
Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.
More information on Gynecologic Cancers can be found on the
web site featuring a campaign of the Centers for Disease Control, “Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer.”
* From the National Cancer Institute State Cancer Profiles.
# Number of clinical trials on GeorgiaCancerInfo.org