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| Get regular checks - not just your boobs, but your bits too
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the annual Pink Ribbon campaign is in full swing. It's often easy to see Pink Ribbon and Breast Cancer Awareness month as purely about breast cancer, but raising awareness of gynaecological cancers is just as important this month.
Breast and gynaecological cancers are by no means reserved for post-menopausal or older women only. There has been a lot of publicity regarding women under 40 with breast cancer though it is not on the increase and women under 40 only account for about 6% of breast cancer cases. This jumps to 18% in 40-49 year olds.
While older women still remain far more likely than younger ones to get cancer, younger women do get it, so this month, get everything checked, not just your boobs, but your bits too.
In Australia, GPs recommend that you have a PAP smear every 2 years. When did you last have one? When did you last get your breasts examined? And the most squeamish of all, when did you last have an internal ultrasound to check your ovaries and uterus?
Yes, we know. None of them are exactly pleasant or comfortable. But they are absolutely crucial to making sure that you remain healthy and that you are aware of your "norm", so you can spot any changes.
Some women refer to these checks as their annual "grease and oil change" and really, you may as well think of it like having your car serviced: It's purely mechanical and functional and will hopefully ensure that you keep running well for a long time to come! So if it helps you remember, book both your car and your personal service appointments in at the same time. Just don't mix up the two! Your local mechanics will never get over it.
Self-check and knowing the norm
This is relatively easy for breasts once you get the hang of the self-check and what your boobs normally feel like. Self-check is not so easy of course for your uterus, cervix or ovaries!
However, you know your own body. You know if you have heavy periods or light ones, and therefore if there's anything amiss or unusual. You know if you get ovary pain or not. And you know if you're experiencing unusual stomach pain. DO NOT IGNORE IT. A quick trip to your local GP or practice nurse is all that's required.
What are gynaecological Cancers?
These are cancers affecting your "bits" as opposed to your boobs, but we tend to group them all in together…
- Ovarian cancer - affects the ovaries, a pair of solid, oval-shaped organs producing hormones and eggs (ova).
- Uterine cancer - begins in the main body of the uterus, a hollow organ about the size and shape of an upside-down pear. The uterus is where the baby grows when a woman is pregnant.
- Cervical cancer - begins in the cervix, the lower, cylinder-shaped part of the uterus. Its upper margin is connected to the uterus, while its lower margin is connected to the vagina.
- Vaginal cancer - begins in the vagina (also called the birth canal), a muscular tube-like channel that extends from the cervix to the external part of the female sex organ (vulva).
- Vulval cancer - begins in the vulva, the outer part of the female reproductive system. It includes the opening of the vagina, the inner and outer lips (also called labia minora and labia majora), the clitoris and the mons pubis (soft, fatty mound of tissue, above the labia).
What are the symptoms?
Clearly symptoms will vary depending on the type, size or stage of cancer, but the following are key symptoms to look out for in cancers of the uterus, cervix, vagina and ovaries.
Don't be alarmed by any of the following. Any of these symptoms can be experience for reasons other than cancer, but you should always check them out with your GP.
- Abnormal or persistent vaginal bleeding, e.g. bleeding after menopause or that is not part of the menstrual periods, bleeding after sex
- Change in bowel or bladder habits
- Itching, burning or soreness
- Lumps, sores or wart-like growths in the genital area
- Pain during sex
- Pain, pressure or discomfort in the abdomen
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Unusual vaginal discharge
Get involved
You can fundraise and get involved in so many ways – go to pinkribbon.com.au
Aside from Pink Ribbon (Cancer Council) this month, there are also many other activities going on to support the fight against women's cancers.
The Weekend to End Women's Cancers™ is a two-day, fully supported walking adventure. The event is not a race and is open to all fitness levels. Its 60 kilometres over two days and participants will walk alongside many cancer survivors, as well as others who have been touched by cancer.
There are four different weekends across the country, each benefitting a different cancer charity:
- Brisbane – 24/25 October - benefitting the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Sydney – 7/8 November 2015 - Efforts in NSW will support Chris O'Brien Lifehouse
- Perth - 2/3 APRIL, 2016 – Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research
- Melbourne – 16/17 April, 2016 – benefitting Peter Mac (Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation)
The Weekend to End Women's Cancers™ is simply a weekend to remember those lives we have lost to breast or gynaecological cancer and a weekend to celebrate the lives survivors and an opportunity for individuals to engage with each other and form a team if they wish.
Click here to find your event or go to:
Breast Cancer Organisations
Cancer Council Australia
Women's Cancer Foundation
National Breast Cancer Foundation
McGrath Foundation |
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