Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month – Things You Need to Know

By Laura Oleniacz –

About 98,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer in the United States this year, according to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer.[i] For some of these “below the belt” cancers, risk increases with age.

Kemi Doll, MD, a fellow in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine Division of Gynecologic Oncology, said there are some early signs and symptoms of endometrial and other gynecologic cancers that women can watch for. And she highlighted the importance of paying attention after menopause.

“I think there’s a sense that after a woman finishes having kids and transitions into menopause, there’s really nothing anatomically to worry about down there,” Doll said. “There’s a lot of focus on hot flashes and hormones, but woman should also be aware of the early signs and symptoms of gynecologic cancers, too.”

Endometrial cancer, a gynecologic cancer that affects the lining of the uterus, is the 10^th most common cancer in the United States, according to National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program data.[ii] The incidence of endometrial cancer has risen in the United States from 24 to 27 new cases per 100,000 women in the decade through 2012, according to NCI SEER data.[iii] And it’s most commonly diagnosed in women between age 55 and 64 years.[iv] The hallmark sign is abnormal vaginal bleeding, Doll said. Because not all bleeding means that a woman has cancer, Doll emphasized the importance of evaluation by a doctor.

“The importance of being seen yearly is that you increase the chance that if you have cancer, it will be diagnosed early, and therefore is more likely to be cured,” she said. 

Vulvar cancer is a disease of the vulva, which is the exterior female genital organs. It’s more common in women aged 75 to 84, according to NCI SEER data.[v] Early signs to look for include new spots or lesions, or even just an itchy spot that won’t go away, Doll said.

“If you notice changes – a lesion on the outside, new bleeding or discharge – it should be evaluated right away by a gynecologist,” Doll said. 

Doll is passionate about raising awareness about endometrial, vulvar, and other gynecologic cancers. And through her research, she’s also working to identify to identify populations of women impacted by gynecologic cancer who may not be doing as well as expected.

In a recent study published in the journal Cancer, Doll and collaborators at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center found that a population of women above age 65 years with gynecologic cancer who were enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid were at higher risk of death compared with women with Medicare alone.

The study found that women with both Medicaid and Medicare had a 34 percent higher odds of all-cause death after diagnosis with gynecologic cancer than women enrolled in Medicare alone.

“We know that these women aren’t doing as well, but we want to find out why,” Doll said.  “Part of our strategy is to identify treatable, curable, sub-populations who are currently not doing as well, and then to investigate why, so we can design population-level interventions to close those gaps.”

[i] “Facts about Gynecologic Cancers,” Foundation for Women’s Cancer, accessed Sept. 14, 2015, http://www.foundationforwomenscancer.org/newsroom/.

[ii] “SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Endometrial Cancer,” National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, accessed Sept. 14, 2015, http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/corp.html

[iii] “SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Endometrial Cancer.”

[iv] “SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Endometrial Cancer.”

[v] “SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Vulvar Cancer,” National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, accessed Sept. 14, 2015, http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/vulva.html.

Laura Oleniacz is  the science communications manager at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prior to her work with the cancer center, she worked as a newspaper journalist. During her career as a reporter, she covered business, education and local government .