Cancer in women – awareness and recognising the symptoms early is the key

In May 2013, cancer survivor Yuvraj Singh wrote a piece for the editorial page of TOI highlighting his battle for cancer and asked women to become more aware about cancer and get tested for cervical cancer. John Abraham was also seen at an event urging women to get checked for breast cancer. Sadly, cases of cancer in women tend to go undetected in India. Dr Sumeet Shah, a consultant surgical oncologist and breast cancer awareness activist tells us more about cancers that afflict women: Also Read - Prostate cancer: Bring down you risk of this condition by having several cups of coffee a day

Breast, cervix, ovary and uterus – the common types of cancer in women Also Read - Avoid sexual dysfunction: Having multiple partners may actually be good for you

Based on data collected from women in Mumbai who suffer from cancer, 50-60% of the cases are cancers of the breast, cervix, ovary and the uterus. The remaining cases comprise of lung cancer, oral cancer, and various other cancers which do not have a higher incidence. You can see the distribution of the cancers in women in the attached image. They are enumerated as follows (figures are rounded off): Also Read - Thyroid cancer: In-utero exposures can increase your risk of this disease

Breast	30%
Cervix	13%
Ovary	7%
Uterus	3%
Lung	3%
Oral	3%
Gall Bladder	3%
Oesophagus	3%

We can clearly see that breast cancer is overwhelmingly more common than any other cancer. (Read: In India, more women have cancer than men)

Reasons for cancer in women

There are various factors that can cause cancer in women. One of the main reasons is obesity. Other reasons include:

Early menarche (start of menstruation) and late menopause which exposes the body’s cells to more than normal oestrogen. While oestrogen is an important and protective hormone, it has a proliferative effect on cells of the breast and uterus which results in cancer.
First delivery beyond 30 years of age increase chances of developing breast cancer
Genetic predisposition – about 6-8% of breast and ovarian cancers seem to be family-based. The genetic changes are passed down the generation, which will increase their chance of developing cancer.
Smoking and tobacco are responsible for lung, oral cancer and also cancer of the upper parts of food pipe (the oesophagus and stomach).
Multiple sexual partners predisposes to infection Human Papillomavirus, which may be responsible for cancer of the cervix.

It needs to be said that there are many patients in whom no cause is obvious. There is a small per cent of women suffering from tongue cancer or lung cancer, but have no habits at all, no tobacco intake or no smoking. The cause here is just not obvious.

We are surrounding by many things which could be contributing to cancer. The air we breathe (polluted and full of positive charged particles, especially due to rampant construction activity in the city), the water we drink (in Northern states, all industrial effluents are polluting waters of major rivers, which people end up drinking), the food we eat (pesticides, some of which have been shown to have estrogenic effects), the radio waves in the air (mobiles and other waves), the list is endless. We just do not know yet. (Read: ‘Fear prevents women from reporting breast cancer’)

Need for more awareness

Women should be aware of the symptoms of the common cancers. Because, most cancers produce symptoms only when they have reached at least stage 2. If a woman delays her treatment even for a few months, after the symptoms start to appear, it can reduce her survival be several years!! So it is essential that they are made aware of symptoms of various cancers and taught to report to the correct doctor. It is not that all symptoms are always going to be cancer, in fact, in most cases, it may not be. But being alert is the only way to catch this disease early.

Symptoms of common cancers:

Breast Cancer

A hard ‘knot’ or ‘lump’ in the breast
Bloody or ‘blood stained’ nipple discharge
A ‘lumpish’ feel sometimes can be cancerous
Recent inward pull on the nipple
Knot or lump in the arm pit

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Cervical cancer

Bloody vaginal discharge
Post coital bleeding (bleeding after sexual intercourse)
Interval bleeding (bleeding in between menses)

Uterine cancer

Cancer of uterus occurs mostly in older women, who are post menopausal. Even a single vaginal bleeding episode after menopause, must be brought to a doctor’s attention, as it may be a sign of uterine cancer

Ovarian cancer

This is very notorious, as it does not produce any symptoms in early stages. And in advanced stages, it produces symptoms like bloating of abdomen, constipation, indigestion etc.

Lung cancer

Persistent cough, not responding to medications
Blood stained cough
Breathlessness

Oral cancer

The most common symptom is ulcers on the inner side of the cheek or tongue which don’t heal for a long time. All of us get ulcers now and then, but they heal and go away. If some ulcer is not healing, and goes on increasing in size, it needs attention. In some tongue cancers, there are no ulcers, but the tongue gets caught up and patient cannot protrude it at all. And the speech pattern changes too.

Cancers of upper food pipe

Difficulty in swallowing food
Able to swallow only liquids, not able to swallow solids
Weight loss
Vomiting after food
Acidity

It must be said that along with this most cancers cause weight loss and loss of appetite. Many cancers produce symptoms which are otherwise seen commonly. It is when some common symptom does not settle for over a month, that we must consult a doctor.

Apart from being aware of the symptoms, it must be strongly emphasized to them that selection of a correct doctor is of prime importance. (Read: The latest advances in cancer treatments)

Common cancer myths

Common cancer myths we keep on hearing:

Myth: Cancer is not curable

Fact: Cancer is very much curable, if detected in earlier stages. That’s why there’s the need for awareness to detect it early.

Alternate therapies works best in cancer and does not produce side effects like routine treatments do

No, no and no. The standard treatment methods include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These methods have undergone vigorous trials over several decades and are the best forms of treatment. The proof of the same is the fantastic increase in survival in almost all cancers in the western nations. Alternate therapies DO NOT have any role in treatment of cancer. No one should ever substitute scientifically proven treatments with therapies which have no base and no trials.

There are many other myths we come across. One common problem I see every day is among victims of breast cancer. Women who suffer from it tend to lose their confidence and retreat in a shell. They think they no longer look beautiful. We must make them realise, that they are as beautiful as ever, they look the same, they have the same capability they always had, they still run the family, and we are all with them. We need to help them out of the shell, bring the smiles back on their faces.

And in most instances, when they’re given a helping hand, most of them in fact go on to live normal lives and help other patients. (Read: Ten cancer myths debunked)

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Published : November 12, 2013 6:24 pm | Updated:June 15, 2015 10:01 pm

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