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Even with an annual Pap smear test and the new vaccination for young women, cervical cancer can’t be totally prevented. But there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of developing cancer of the cervix.
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Vaginal cancer is a relatively rare disorder, comprising about 2% to 3% of all gynecologic cancers. Approximately 2,400 women are diagnosed each year with vaginal cancer in the United States.
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The chance of getting ovarian cancer increases as a woman gets older. Ovarian cancer occurs in women over the age of 50 and the highest risk is in women over 60.
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Uterine cancer is the most common of all cancers in the female reproductive system. It can either form in the inner lining of the uterus or the outer layer of muscle tissue.
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Thought to be caused by a problem with the genetic information transmitted between an egg and sperm, molar pregnancy can develop during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Testimonials
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When Jan Holsclaw found out she had ovarian cancer, she was referred to Dr. Bigsby at Florida Hospital Cancer Institute for surgery and treatment. With reassuring words and...
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TV Personality Jan C. Garavaglia, M.D., (aka "Dr. G") is the chief medical examiner for the District Nine (Orange-Osceola) Medical Examiner's Office in Florida. When she... -
Bonnie has helped to raise millions of dollars for ovarian cancer research taking place at National Cancer Institute (NCI), Department of Defense (DOD), Centers for Disease...
Vulvar Cancer Research
A lot of research is currently underway to find ways to prevent and treat vulvar cancer.
Oncognes and tumor suppressor genes
Scientists have begun to learn more about oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that control cell growth and turn normal cells into cancerous ones. The goal is to develop a gene therapy that will replace the damaged genes in the cancer cells with normal ones to stop their abnormal behaviors.
HPV vaccines
Currently, Gardisil is the only vaccine approved for use to treat HPV infections. With this initial success, it’s hoped that other vaccines can be developed to treat other types of HPV that can cause female reproductive cancers.
Other vaccines are being investigated to help women who have vulvar cancer (therapeutic vaccines). These vaccines are intended to create an immune reaction in parts of the virus that contribute to the abnormal growth of cells, specifically the E6 and E7 proteins. It’s hoped that this immune reaction will kill the cancer cells or stop them from growing more.
Combined therapies
Finally, researchers are looking at the most effective ways to combine surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy to combat vulvar cancer. Clinical trials are investigating how radiation after surgery can contribute to the killing of cancer cells. Other trials are studying the effectiveness of chemotherapy or pelvic radiation therapy to treat cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes.
Clinical trials are underway on a number of fronts. Currently, the National Cancer Institute lists nearly 50 trials being conducted for vulvar cancer and the Gynecologic Oncology Center offers patients one of the widest ranges of clinical trial options in the nation. Many of these promising treatments won’t be available to the general public for months, if not years, to come.
For a complete list, click here.