Women and Cancer: Comprehensive Health Services at Main Street Hospital (8pg)

38%

According to the American Cancer Society, that’s the number of women who will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.

At Main Street Hospital, we provide both the resources and the technology for the detection, diagnosis, treatment, support and follow-up care that this community needs in the fight against cancer. Every day, our team of physicians, nurses, technologists and support staff use their experience and expertise to defeat cancer and save lives.

Comprehensive Health Services at Main Street Hospital

Early detection is critical for the successful treatment of almost any cancer. As a woman, your risk of dying from cancer is almost 20 percent. Don’t become a statistic. At Main Street Hospital, we urge you to understand and follow the screening recommendations for the most common cancers found in women.

Breast Cancer

For detailed information about breast cancer and recommended screenings, please see the articles Are You At Risk? and Live It Out.

Lung Cancer

A screening test is only recommended for women who have a high risk for the disease because of their smoking habit. Women who qualify for the screening must be:

1. 55 to 74 years of age
2. In fairly good health
3. Have at least 30 pack-year smoking history AND are either still smoking or have quit smoking within the last 15 years.

Talk to your doctor about lung cancer screening if you think you are a candidate and be sure to choose a facility with the right CT scan and a great deal of experience in lung cancer screening.

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is slow growing and may not have any symptoms. Fortunately, the Pap test, which checks for abnormal cell growth in the cervix, is available. Cervical cancer is almost always caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Even if you have received the vaccination for HPV, you should still follow the screening recommendations for your age.

What To Do

Have a Pap test starting at age 21 according to the following schedule. Women under age 21 should not be tested.

• Women ages 21 to 29: Pap test every three years, but no HPV test unless the Pat test is abnormal.
• Women ages 30 to 65: The preferred approach is to have a Pap test AND an HPV test every five years. You can also have the Pap test alone every three years.
• Women older than 65: Testing should stop if your previous tests have been normal. Women with a history of cervical pre-cancer should be tested at least 20 years after that diagnosis, even past the age of 65.

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-death in the United States among women and men. Great progress has been made in recent years in fighting colorectal cancer. A recent study found that the number of people diagnosed with the disease has dropped 30 percent in the last 10 years! That’s because some screening tests, such as a colonoscopy, have the ability to remove pre-cancerous growths called polyps, which prevents the cancer from occurring. Unfortunately, less than 60 percent of people who should be screened for the disease have had the correct colorectal cancer testing.

What To Do

Screening for colorectal cancer should start at age 50. It’s recommended that most people have a colonoscopy every 10 years or a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, but talk to your physician about your risk factors to determine testing frequency.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, with 3.5 million cases diagnosed each year. Fortunately, there are only about 76,000 cases each year of the most serious kind of skin cancer, melanoma.

What To Do

Once a month, perform a self-exam and check for any changes in your skin, especially new or bleeding moles. Contact your physician immediately if you notice any changes. Your doctor should also check your skin carefully when you have a physical exam.

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect during a pelvic exam, even by a skilled examiner. Two screening tests, one using ultrasound and the other a blood test, are available, but they have not proven very successful in detecting the disease.

Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer
At the time of menopause, talk to you doctor about your risks for endometrial cancer and its symptoms. Some women with a higher risk may need to have a yearly endometrial biopsy. Let your doctor know if you experience any unexpected bleeding or spotting.

Source: American Cancer Society