According to 2010 statistics from the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer in U.S. women. (This does not count certain skin cancers.) Ovarian cancer is most common in older women. It is a little more common in white women than in women of other ethnic groups. The risk of getting invasive ovarian cancer during a woman's lifetime is about 1 in 71, and the risk of dying is 1 in 95. This tool will help you determine if you are at risk for ovarian cancer. It is not a complete assessment of all risks. For a complete evaluation of your risks, see your health care provider.
Your assessment indicates you have one or more significant risk factors for ovarian cancer, making your overall risk of developing ovarian cancer high.
Your assessment indicates you have one or more moderate risk factors for ovarian cancer, making your overall risk of developing ovarian cancer moderate.
Your assessment indicates you have no significant or moderate risk factors for ovarian cancer, making your overall risk of developing ovarian cancer average for the general public.
Your risk factors and their significance, according to this assessment, are listed below.
Most women with ovarian cancer do not have known risk factors. Still, it is important to know about the medically recognized risk factors. According to the American Cancer Society, several specific factors have been discovered that increase a woman's likelihood of developing one type of ovarian cancer called epithelial ovarian cancer. These risk factors do not apply to other, less common types of ovarian cancer, such as germ cell tumors and stromal tumors. If this assessment shows you have risk factors, you should discuss them with your health care provider. The risk of developing ovarian cancer increases with age. This cancer generally develops after menopause. Although most cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in older women, the disease can still occur in younger women.
Early cancers of the ovaries tend to cause symptoms that are relatively vague. They can be caused by many conditions that are not cancer. These symptoms include:
If you have these symptoms and you have risk factors for ovarian cancer, see your health care provider for a complete evaluation. If your risk is high, your provider may suggest more frequent evaluations. That way, if cancer develops, it can be detected and treated as early as possible. Some exams and tests that your health care provider might do are:
This information is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. Always consult with a health care provider for advice concerning your health. Only your health care provider can determine if you have ovarian cancer.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women (other than skin cancer). The American Cancer Society reports the breast cancer death rate is declining, probably due to earlier detection and improved treatment. This short assessment will help you determine if you have major risk factors for breast cancer. It is not a complete assessment of all risks. For a complete evaluation of your risks, see your health care provider.
Because of your age, your immediate risk for developing breast cancer is very low.
Because of your age, your immediate risk for developing breast cancer is low.
Because of your age alone, your immediate risk for developing breast cancer is slightly higher than for a younger woman.
Because of your age, your immediate risk for developing breast cancer is moderate. However, because you have risk factors other than age (listed below), your immediate risk is higher than others in your age group.
Because of your age alone, your immediate risk for developing breast cancer is high.
Because of your age alone, your immediate risk for developing breast cancer is high. The additional risk factors you have reported (listed below) increase that risk further over a same-age person without risk factors.
Age is the greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer. Children rarely develop breast cancer. In fact, the incidence doesn't begin to rise until around age 17, but even then the incidence is low. Beginning about age 45, the risk begins to rise rapidly.
Age is the greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer. Children rarely develop breast cancer. In fact, the incidence doesn't begin to rise until around age 17, but even then the incidence is low. Between the ages of 45 and 65, your immediate risk of developing breast cancer increases, especially for women who have risk factors other than age. According to the American Cancer Society, about 18 percent of breast cancer is diagnosed in women in this age range.
Age is the greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer. Children rarely develop breast cancer. In fact, the incidence doesn't begin to rise until around age 17, but even then the incidence is low. Beyond age 45, your immediate risk of developing breast cancer increases, especially if you have other risk factors. These risk factors, especially if they are significant, will put you at increasingly higher risk as you grow older.
Age is the greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer. At age 65 or older, your risk for breast cancer increases with each passing year. According to the American Cancer Society, about 77 percent of breast cancer diagnoses occur after age 50, with the majority after age 65. Other risk factors, if they are present, become increasingly important in determining the risk of developing breast cancer in women older than 65.
Age is the greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer. At age 65 or older, your risk for breast cancer increases with each passing year. According to the American Cancer Society, about 77 percent of breast cancer diagnoses occur after age 50, with the majority after age 65. Other risk factors become increasingly important in determining the risk of developing breast cancer in women older than 65.
Because you are younger than 17, you have almost no immediate risk of developing breast cancer even if you have other risk factors, listed below. Any risk factors you do have, especially if they are significant, will put you in increasingly higher risk categories as you grow older.
Because you are not yet 45 years old, your immediate risk of developing breast cancer is low even if you have other risk factors, listed below. Any risk factors you do have, especially if they are significant, will put you in increasingly higher risk categories as you grow older.
Your risk factors and their significance, according to this assessment, are listed below.
You have indicated no risk factors for breast cancer.
You have indicated no risk factors for breast cancer other than age.
Some risk factors, such as age and family medical history, cannot be changed. However, others—such as weight, smoking, and alcohol consumption—can be modified. If you have risk factors that are modifiable, you should consider making lifestyle changes to reduce those risks. You should avoid alcohol, quit smoking, lose weight if you need to, and exercise regularly. If you have children, breast-feeding them for several months can reduce your breast cancer risk. After menopause, you should avoid hormone therapy. In addition, a healthy diet and adequate exercise may reduce breast cancer risk.
A large portion of the women with breast cancer have no risk factors. Having risk factors does not automatically mean that you will develop breast cancer. But having risk factors is a good reason to discuss them with your physician and schedule preventing screening.
Whether you have risk factors or not, it is important to follow the national breast cancer screening guidelines. Here are the American Cancer Society's recommendations for screenings:
This information is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. Always consult with a health care provider for advice concerning your health. Only your health care provider can determine if you have breast cancer.
This assessment is not intended to replace the evaluation of a health care professional.
Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death among women in the United States, but today many cases of cervical cancer are prevented through widespread use of the Pap test.
Two vaccines are also available to prevent infection by some strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), a major cause of cervical cancer. The vaccines are approved for females (and males) ages 9 to 26.
Cervical cancer tends to develop in midlife; most women are diagnosed with cervical cancer before the age of 50; about 20 percent are older than 65 (American Cancer Society, 2010 statistic). Early cervical cancer and precancerous conditions of the cervix have no symptoms. This assessment will help you determine your relative risk for cervical cancer. This assessment is valid for women between the ages of 21 and 69 who have had sexual intercourse at least once and who have not had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix.
Based on the information you provided, you have one or more risk factors for cervical cancer. A risk factor is any condition or behavior that increases your likelihood of developing a disease. Having a risk factor does not necessarily mean you will develop a disease, however. Knowing what your risk factors are helps your health care provider schedule appropriate screenings and recommend preventive measures.
For cervical cancer, the primary risk factor is infection with certain high-risk types of HPV or human papillomavirus, which causes genital warts. Other secondary risk factors also come into play. Based on the answers to your assessment, your risk factors, if any, are listed below.
The information you provided suggests that you have none of the common risk factors for cervical cancer covered in this assessment. Your results show the following preventive factors that decrease your likelihood developing cervical cancer by varying degrees:
Your results indicate you have one or more secondary risk factors for cervical cancer:
Your results also indicate the following preventive factors that decrease your risk of cervical cancer by varying degrees:
The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is being infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Most women diagnosed with cervical cancer have this virus. HPV is passed on through skin contact with an infected part of the body, usually on or near the sexual organs, the ACS says. Your risk for getting this virus increases if you have sex at an early age, if you have more than one sexual partner during your lifetime, if your partner has had multiple sex partners, or if you have sex with uncircumcised males.
HPV refers to a group of more than 100 types of viruses that cause genital warts. Only a few of these viruses cause cervical cancer; about half of all cervical cancer cases are caused by only two types, HPV 16 and HPV 18, the ACS says. Yet most women who are infected with these types of HPV don't develop cervical cancer.
HPV infection does not always cause warts or other symptoms, so you can pass it to another person without knowing it. Although condoms protect against many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), they don't offer total protection against HPV, the ACS says. This is because HPV can be passed on by skin contact with an infected area of the body that can't be covered with a condom. Even when no warts are present, HPV can reside in the skin and be passed on. A vaccine that protects against infection with HPV 16 and 18 is expected to be approved in the near future.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), other factors that increase your risk for cervical cancer are:
The increased use of the Pap test has dramatically reduced deaths from cervical cancer. Pap tests find early cancers or changes in the cells of the cervix that could lead to cancer. Cervical cancer develops slowly, usually taking years to progress from a precancerous condition to cancer. For many women, the precancerous changes will not progress to cancer or will go away without any treatment. Precancerous conditions can be treated, preventing cancer from developing.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that:
To make sure your Pap test results are accurate, the ACS says to avoid the following:
A pelvic exam is not a Pap test, but both are done during the same office visit. The Pap test is usually done first. For the Pap test, the health care provider inserts an instrument called a speculum into the vagina to hold it open, then gently scrapes or brushes the cervix with another instrument to remove a small number of cells. This sample is sent to the laboratory. During a pelvic exam, a health care provider checks the health of a woman's uterus and ovaries by feeling them through the abdomen. For the exam, the provider inserts two fingers into the vagina and presses to steady the uterus; the other hand pushes on the abdomen to feel the uterus and ovaries. A pelvic exam cannot find cervical cancer in its early stages or abnormal cervical cells.
A health care provider may suggest one of the following treatments for precancerous changes of the cervix or for cancer found only in the outer layer of cells the cervix (cancer that has not invaded deeper tissues):
For more advanced cancers, a cone biopsy may be done first to establish the cancer diagnosis. In a cone biopsy (conization), a cone-shaped piece of tissue is removed from the cervix. Treatment for more advanced cancers may be hysterectomy, internal or external radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of these.
This information is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. Always consult with a health care provider for advice concerning your health. Only your health care provider can do a thorough disease risk assessment or determine if you have cervical cancer.
References for Cervical Cancer
National Cancer InstituteThis assessment is not intended to replace the evaluation of a healthcare professional.
Cancer of the colon or rectum (colorectal cancer) usually develops slowly, over several years. Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths overall, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Still, the death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping for more than 20 years because of better detection and treatment. Take this simple assessment to learn about your risks for colorectal cancer.
Your relative risk for developing colorectal cancer is . Your risk level is determined by the highest-level risk factor you have reported. (A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of getting a disease or a condition.) Your risk factors and their relative significance are listed below.
The information you provided suggests that your relative risk for developing colorectal cancer is low. You have none of the common risk factors covered in this assessment. Your results show the following preventive factors that decrease your likelihood developing colorectal cancer by varying degrees:
Your results also indicate the following preventive factors that decrease your risk of colorectal cancer by varying degrees:
Important risk factors for colorectal cancer include family and personal medical history, especially:
Other factors that increase the risk for colorectal cancer, according to the ACS:
Screening is important for preventing colorectal cancer. Screening can find polyps (growths that can become cancer) and remove them before they turn into cancer, the ACS says. Screening can also find cancer early, when it is highly curable
People who have no other risk factors except advancing age should begin regular screening for colorectal cancer at age 50, according to the ACS and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. If you have a family history or other risk factors for colorectal cancer, talk with your health care provider about the need for screening at an earlier age or for more frequent screening. Several screening tests are available, but medical experts differ on which test is better or how often to get screened.
For those who are at least 50 years old and of average risk for colorectal cancer, the ACS recommends:
The ACS recommends that you begin testing at an earlier age or have more frequent screening if you have any of these risk factors:
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT). This test can find hidden blood in the feces; blood can indicate the presence of polyps or cancers.
Fecal immunochemical test (FIT). This test is similar to a fecal occult blood test, but it doesn't require any restrictions on diet or medications before the test.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy. A slender, flexible, hollow, lighted tube is inserted through the rectum into the lower part of the colon to look for polyps and cancers. Any small polyp found may be removed; polyps, even those that aren't cancerous, eventually may turn into cancer. Recent research has indicated that this test may not be as effective in women. If you are a woman, talk with your health care provider about having a colonoscopy instead of a sigmoidoscopy.
Colonoscopy. Just as in the sigmoidoscopy, a slender, flexible, hollow, lighted tube is inserted through the rectum into the colon to look for polyps and cancers, but a colonoscope is longer and allows the health care provider to see the entire length of the colon. If a small polyp is found, your provider may remove it; polyps, even those that are not cancerous, eventually may turn into cancer.
Double-contrast barium enema. Barium sulfate, a chalky substance, is used to partially fill and open up the colon. An X-ray of the abdomen shows strictures (narrowed areas), obstructions (blockages), and other problems. If problems are seen, a colonoscopy will be needed to examine them further.
CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy). This test uses computerized tomography (CT) to examine the colon for polyps or masses using special technology. The images are processed by a computer to make a three-dimensional (3-D) model of the colon. Virtual colonoscopy is noninvasive, although it requires a small tube to be inserted into the rectum to pump air into the colon.
Stool DNA (sDNA). This test can be used to check the stool or fecal matter for specific changes in DNA (the genetic blueprint of each cell) that indicate signs of colorectal cancer. You must save an entire bowel movement and send the sample to a laboratory.
If your health care provider finds a precancerous polyp, it can be removed during a colonoscopy. If your provider finds cancer, he or she will recommend one of several treatment options. The three main types of treatment for colorectal cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, the ACS says. A newer treatment available is called monoclonal antibodies; this treatment more specifically targets the cancer. Depending on how advanced the cancer is, treatments may be combined or used one after another.
You can reduce your risk for colorectal cancer by maintaining a healthy weight and eating a nutritious diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You should also limit how many high-fat foods you eat. You should quit smoking if you smoke and limit your alcohol consumption. You should also get regular exercise; the ACS recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five or more days a week. Boosting your amount of exercise to 45 minutes five or more days a week can further reduce your risk for colorectal cancer.
This information is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. Always consult with a health care provider for advice concerning your health. Only your health care provider can do a thorough disease risk assessment or determine if you have colorectal cancer.
"Treating our families, friends, neighbors and community is our privilege."
The Cooley Dickinson Hospital Radiation Therapy Department has put together this information packet to provide you with basic information and directions to the department for your first visit. Please feel free to contact us at (413) 582-2107 if you have any additional questions or concerns before your first appointment.