Cancer Screening in Woman

Here are screening and treatment of different types of cancers in women

Hello I am Dr. Uma Verma. I am consultant gynecologist in West Delhi, Narayana. Today I will talk about the screening of the cancer in women.

What is screening? Checking your body for cancer before you have symptom increase the chances of detecting certain cancer when they are in most curable stage. First I will talk about cervical cancer. Cervix is the lowermost part of the womb. This is the only cancer which is preventable and it has a very long indolent part present as a precancer region. Nowadays vaccine is also available to prevent this cancer. Pap smear is the ultimate screening of chest to prevent the cervical cancer. Once we start screening Pap smear 3 year after the first intimate relation from 21 to 29 years of age yearly and after 29 it should be done with the HPV virus detection. It can be done till 65 years of age and later also if anything abnormal with the Pap smear, patient can go further for the rompers copy also.

Second cancer we are going to discuss is about the breast cancer. We have the Mammogram Manual examination of the breast and MRI. Self examination of the breast is controversial issue, It should be done or not. Some authorities say to be done, some say it is of no use. If at all it should be done it should be started at age of 29 till 40. It should be done with three early and after 40 year it should be done annually. Candidate for the genetic testing, Personal history of CA breast should undergo genetic testing for the breast cancer. Close relative having history of breast, prostate or unaware cancer. Breast cancer developing before the age of 50 having both the breast in ovarian cancer, near relative having the breast cancer, Easter European, Jewish ancestors, anybody who is having ovarian cancer, these are all above the position should be genetically investigated for the screening of the breast cancer.

Now we come to ovarian cancer. This is the ninth most common female cancer. The test used for the click screening is CA 125 and trans vaginal sonography. There is no reliable way to screen for the ovarian cancer in women who do not have any sign. Screening should start at 30 to 35 years that is 5 to 10 year areas when the cancer detected in youngest member of the family. Screening does not reduce death from the cancer in general population. 20 to 25% of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have the heriditary tendency. Now come to the uterine cancer screening.

For the uterine cancer there is no screening way. We only have Diagnostic test that Diagnostics test are Endrometrial sampling, DLC, hysteroscopy and also we have the ultrasound to see the endrometrial sickness. Now come to the Colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer screening is to begin at the age of 50. In this we do high sensitivity fecal occult blood testing, colonoscopy and sigmatoscopy. It should continue annually till the age of 70. That is all.

In summary I want to tell the cancer screening is important so that we can treat the disease at earliest possible. And when the disease is detected earlier the chances vof cure is high. Once the patient develop the disease then nobody knows what is going to happen. Two cancer in the females are the cervical and breast which needs definite screening for the general population as well as for the high risk population. Breast cancer the screening is not of much use.

That is all. Thank you