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Gynecological cancers are all cancers of a woman's reproductive system. Cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, as well as rare cancers such as vulvar cancer, are also considered gynecologic cancers.
Gynecological cancers are diagnosed according to the site of occurrence. For example, cancer that occurs at the entrance of the uterus is called cervical cancer, cancer that forms in the membrane that surrounds the uterus is called endometrial cancer, and cancer that occurs in the ovaries on either side of the uterus is called ovarian cancer.
Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecologic cancers in the past. The most known causative agent of cervical cancer is persistent infection with HPV (human papillomavirus). In recent years, early screening of cervical cancer has been widely carried out and HPV vaccination has become widely available, and the cure rate has been increasing.
Treatment of cervical cancer is primarily surgical treatment for early cervical cancer, and radiation and chemotherapy are used for stage 2 or higher cervical cancers. Like most cancer diseases, cervical cancer has a lower survival rate as the disease progresses. The 5-year survival rate is more than 90% in stage 1, but it drops to 3-40% in stage 3 and 4.
Ovarian cancer is also called ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer because of similar causes between fallopian tube cancer and peritoneal cancer of the membrane surrounding the ovary.
Ovarian cancer is not caused by viral infection, but it is known that about 10~20% of cases are caused by heredity. One example is the BRCA gene mutation known as Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie.
Surgical treatment of ovarian cancer is basically done by removing the primary lesion of the ovary, uterus, and abdominal cavity. Because the ovaries are swollen close to the intestine, surgery may be performed to partially remove the intestine if necessary.
There is a perception that ovarian cancer is more difficult to treat than other cancers. In the case of thyroid cancer or breast cancer, the tumor is easily identified with the naked eye, because in the case of ovarian cancer, the lesion is located in the abdominal cavity and more than 70% of cases are found when the cancer is at some advanced stage. After stage 3, the survival rate drops sharply to less than 40%. If you are a woman, even if you do not have any symptoms, it is recommended that you have an ultrasound at your gynecologist at least once a year, or if necessary, a blood test.
Endometrial cancer is mostly caused by an excess of the hormone estrogen, although viruses and hereditary factors may be involved to some extent.
Endometrial cancer is diagnosed at an early stage with symptoms such as vaginal bleeding in the early stages of its onset, so it is known that the prognosis is very good in most cases. However, if the cancer becomes more advanced than stage 3, the five-year survival rate drops by nearly 30-40%.
Many people wonder if it is impossible to get pregnant if they have gynecologic cancer.
First, in the case of early cervical cancer, where the tumor size is less than 2 cm or there is no lymph node metastasis, fertility can be preserved by surgery to remove only the cervix, leaving the uterus. Although the risk of preterm birth may be 25% higher than that of the general population, about 25 to 50 percent of women who have undergone a hysterectomy are able to conceive. If you have a pregnancy, there is data that about 75% of them have had a successful birth.
In the case of endometrial cancer, it is impossible to get pregnant if the entire endometrium is cut out, but the uterus can be preserved with medication that administers high-dose hormones. However, since endometrial cancer is associated with obesity and ovulation disorders, it is necessary to have periodic recurrence checkups even after giving birth, and surgical treatment such as hysterectomy should be considered after childbirth.
In the last ovarian cancer, it is often difficult to preserve the ovaries because the cancer has progressed to a certain extent and many people come to the hospital. However, in rare cases, when there is a tumor in only one ovary and the degree of cell differentiation is good, fertility can be preserved through surgery, leaving the opposite ovary and uterus. However, even in this case, there is a risk of recurrence, so periodic follow-up is necessary.
Early diagnosis of gynecologic cancer is of utmost importance because the earlier it is detected, the easier it is to be cured and the higher the probability of preserving fertility.
For cervical cancer, it is recommended that you have regular checkups every 1-2 years. If you haven't received the HPV vaccine yet, you should get vaccinated.
In the case of endometrial cancer, there are symptoms such as vaginal bleeding in the early stages, so if you have heavy menstrual flow or irregular bleeding, we recommend that you visit the nearest obstetrics and gynecology clinic.
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