Uterine fibroids are found in 1/3 of women
About 1/3 of all adult women have fibroids, the most prevalent gynecological tumor, and many are discovered during a medical checkup and never even know they have the disease for the rest of their lives.
Although the incidence of fibroids is high, don’t be afraid. 95-98% of fibroids are benign and the majority of patients are asymptomatic, with only a small percentage experiencing excessive menstruation and infertility. In addition, uterine fibroids are hormone-dependent tumors that grow rapidly during puberty and childbearing years and generally shrink slowly after menopause.
It is also worth noting that about 1% are malignant, called “uterine sarcoma”, which spreads faster and has a higher mortality rate. You should not be careless and be extra careful in the following 3 cases: the original fibroids grow quickly in a short period of time; there were no symptoms before, but suddenly there is pain and bleeding; the fibroids do not subside even after menopause and continue to grow.
The cause of uterine fibroids is not clear and effective prevention is not possible, but it can be detected by ultrasound during physical examination. If there is no symptom, it can be continuously observed; if the tumor is relatively large or has already affected the body, surgery is an option. The surgery can be done laparoscopically with relatively little trauma; for women of childbearing age, the uterus can also be preserved without affecting fertility.
Ovarian cysts should be cut when found
Ovarian cysts are also common benign gynecologic tumors. Oocytes contain the energy to develop into tissues of various body systems; therefore, ovarian tumors are also very complex and can have various tissue origins; for example, hair, fat, bones, teeth, etc. can be found in teratomas.
Ovarian cysts can be diagnosed by ultrasound. Once detected, surgery should be performed promptly, otherwise the consequences will be endless. One, although they are benign tumors like uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts are not hormone-dependent tumors and will not fade away because of menopause; they will continue to grow, even to over 100 pounds. Secondly, as the tumor grows, it may twist or rupture, causing infection and bleeding, which is very dangerous. Third, over time, there is a risk of malignancy, with a cancer rate of about 3 to 5 percent. In addition, drugs and injections are not very useful for ovarian cysts.
If they are benign, the ovaries can be preserved as appropriate. It should be noted that ovarian cysts should not be punctured. Aspiration of mucus with a needle can make it smaller, but the internal fluid will flow through the needle hole into the abdominal cavity, leading to intestinal adhesions or even abdominal infection, which can be more than worth the loss. However, during the surgery, in order to be minimally invasive, the tumor can be aspirated first and then removed after it becomes smaller, which can reduce the surgical trauma.
Endometrial cancer is more common among “three high” people
Endometrial cancer mostly occurs in older women, mostly over 60 years old, and the typical symptom is bleeding after menopause, as if menstruation is coming again. The typical symptom is post-menopausal bleeding, as if menstruation is coming again. When this problem occurs, it is necessary to seek medical attention immediately for hysteroscopy or scraping of the endometrium for clear diagnosis.
Although the cause of endometrial cancer is not completely clear, there are 3 recognized risk factors: obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, so women with three highs should be more alert.
Nowadays, there is a trend of endometrial cancer becoming younger and some people even fall ill in their 30s. One reason is that there are more people who do not have children and have higher endocrine secretion.
Since the uterine muscle layer is thicker, it takes longer time for cancer cells to break through the uterus, so many endometrial cancer patients can be detected at an early stage, before it spreads. For patients with fertility requirements, if the lesion is at an early stage, the uterus can be preserved depending on the situation.
In terms of prevention, three points should be noted: it is recommended that women should have children at an appropriate age, 24-29 years old; they should have a reasonable diet and exercise to prevent obesity; if they have high blood pressure and diabetes, they should be treated actively; and they should have regular checkups.
Ovarian cancer abdominal pain should be alerted
Ovarian cancer is the biggest headache for gynecologists. Although its incidence is not as high as cervical cancer and endometrial cancer, it is the gynecological tumor with the highest mortality rate. Ovarian cancer is usually asymptomatic in the early stage and cannot be seen by ultrasound, so it is difficult to be detected; once there are masses and ascites, more than 70% of them are in advanced stage, which is difficult to be treated.
Ovarian cancer can easily spread. Because ovaries need to ovulate, there is no peritoneal membrane on the surface, and cancer cells lack restriction, plus the small intestine keeps moving 24 hours a day, which accelerates the spreading speed of cancer cells.
Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is a worldwide problem. It is now clear that serum Ca125 (tumor marker 125) and HE4 (human epididymal secretory protein 4) can assist in screening. If both are positive, it is 90% likely to be ovarian cancer. Therefore, it is recommended that people at high risk (including those with a family history of ovarian cancer or those who have had other cancers) be screened regularly for these two items.
Everyone has had symptoms of bloating and abdominal pain, but if these symptoms suddenly become regular and frequent, they should be checked immediately. At this time, people will usually go to see the digestive system. We would like to remind you that if it is not a digestive problem, you must also go to see a gynecologist, which may be a sign of ovarian cancer.
Regardless of whether it is early, middle or late stage, the only treatment option for ovarian cancer is surgery and extensive clearance. Even then, there are still some “missed” cases that need to be treated with follow-up chemotherapy. Despite adequate treatment, only 30-40% of patients survive long term.
Ovarian cancer cannot be effectively prevented, but there are some measures to reduce the risk of the disease. First of all, it is recommended to have children at an appropriate age; after having children, ovaries can be removed prophylactically according to the specific situation, after which hormones can be taken to regulate endocrine secretion.
Cervical cancer can be prevented by vaccination
The incidence rate of cervical cancer is the highest among gynecological malignancies, and it is roughly estimated that there are about 150,000 new cases of cervical cancer in China every year.
But on the bright side, among gynecological tumors, the only one with a clear cause is cervical cancer. German scientists have found that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main cause of cervical cancer, but it usually takes about 8 years from infection to cancer, and there are many opportunities for consultation and treatment in between. The virus is removed from the body within six months to a year.
Cervical smear can diagnose cervical cancer, and this test is inexpensive and non-invasive, so it can be done on a large scale, and it is recommended that women over 30 years old should be checked every one to two years. If the test is negative in the first year, it will be checked again in the second year, and then every two years. If the test is still negative twice in a row, it will be checked again every three years.
Therefore, if the test is negative 7 times in a lifetime, it is unlikely to be infected with HPV again. The treatment effect of cervical cancer is relatively good; more than 90% of early cancer can be cured in the long term; if it is pre-cancerous, it can even reach 100% cure. As a result, the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased significantly in many countries.
The cause of cervical cancer is clear and can be prevented. Developed countries in Europe and the United States started to use HPV vaccine for girls aged 9 to 10 years old more than 10 years ago to ensure that they will not be infected with HPV for 10 to 20 years, thus preventing the occurrence of cervical cancer. This measure has not yet been carried out in China, and the country should pay enough attention to it. If the vaccine becomes widely available on a large scale, cervical cancer may become the first cancer to be eradicated by mankind.