What Do You Know About Reproductive Cancers?

Although testicular cancer accounts for only 1 percent of all cancers in men, it is the most common form of cancer in young men ages 15 to 35. Any man can get testicular cancer, but it is more common in white men than in African-American men. Testicular cancer can be broadly classified into two types: seminoma and nonseminoma. Seminomas start in the cells that make sperm. Nonseminomas are a group of cancers that include choriocarcinoma, embryonal carcinoma, teratoma, and yolk sac tumors. A testicular cancer may have a combination of both types.

Most testicular cancers are found by men on their own. Talk with your doctor about whether you should do a testicular self-exam and how often you should do it. Some doctors recommend that all men do monthly testicular self-exams after puberty. If you do one, the best time is during or right after a shower or bath, when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed. Men should see a doctor if they notice any of the following symptoms: a painless lump or swelling in either testicle; any enlargement of a testicle or change in the way it feels; a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum; a dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin (the area where the thigh meets the abdomen); a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum; or pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum. These symptoms can be caused by cancer or by other conditions. It is important to see a doctor to determine the cause of any symptoms.

Although researchers don't know why this is so, having a testicle that did not move down into the scrotum before birth puts a man at greater risk for developing testicular cancer. This is true even if surgery is performed to move the testicle in the scrotum. Other factors that increase a man's chance of developing testicular cancer include abnormal testicular development; family or personal history of testicular cancer; age (it's most common between ages 20 and 54); and race (white men are about five times more likely to develop testicular cancer than African-American men).

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. It is usually a slow-growing but potentially lethal disease found most often in men older than 50. Although cases of the disease have been reported in men of all ages, nearly two-thirds of all prostate cancers occur in men over 65. According to the American Cancer Society, doctors will diagnose 241,740 new cases of prostate cancer in 2012; 28,170 American men will die from the disease. Besides age, other factors that can increase the risk for prostate cancer include family history of the disease (a father or brother with prostate cancer increases a man's risk); race (African-American men are more likely to develop it than are white American, Asian-American, or American Indian men); and diet and dietary factors.

There are no symptoms in the early stages. That's why it's important for men at risk for developing prostate cancer to talk with their doctors about the benefits of screening. One or both of these screening tests may be used to detect prostate abnormalities: a digital rectal exam and a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Elevated levels of PSA may indicate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an infection. Symptoms of later-stage prostate cancer include a need to urinate frequently, especially at night; difficulty starting urination or holding back urine; inability to urinate; weak or interrupted flow of urine; painful or burning urination; difficulty in having an erection; painful ejaculation; blood in urine or semen; and frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs. Any of these symptoms may be caused by cancer or by other, less serious health problems, such as BPH or an infection. A man who has symptoms like these should see his doctor.

Factors that put a woman at risk for developing ovarian cancer are family history (having a mother, daughter, or sister with the disease puts you at increased risk); age (most ovarian cancer occurs after age 50, with the highest risk after age 60); childbearing (women who have never had children are more likely to develop this cancer); and personal history (women who have had breast, uterine, rectum, or colon cancer may have a greater chance of developing ovarian cancer). Other possible factors include fertility drugs (these may slightly increase the risk of ovarian cancer); talc (some studies suggest that women who use talc in the genital area for many years may be at risk); and hormone therapy (some studies suggest that women who use HT after menopause may have a slightly increased risk). Having one or more of the risk factors mentioned above does not mean that a woman is sure to develop ovarian cancer, but the chance may be higher than average.

Other symptoms include general abdominal discomfort and/or pain (gas, indigestion, pressure, swelling, bloating, cramps); feeling tired all the time; frequent urination; feeling of fullness even after a light meal; and weight gain or loss with no know reason.

The Pap test and a pelvic exam are simple, painless tests to detect cancer early. A Pap test is used to find abnormal cells in and around the cervix. A woman should have this test when she is not menstruating; the best time is between 10 and 20 days after the first day of her menstrual period. For about two days before a Pap test, she should avoid douching or using spermicidal foams, creams, or jellies or vaginal medicines (except as directed by a health care provider), which may wash away or hide any abnormal cells. A wooden scraper (spatula) and/or a small brush is used to collect a sample of cells from the cervix and upper vagina. The cells are placed on a glass slide and sent to a medical laboratory to be checked for abnormal changes. Women should have regular checkups, including a pelvic exam and a Pap test, starting when they are 21.

It's present in most cases of endometrial cancer. Although endometrial cancer is more likely to develop after menopause, it can also develop around the time menopause begins, when a woman is still menstruating. A woman should not assume that any abnormal bleeding at this time is normal; she should check with her doctor. Other symptoms of endometrial cancer include difficult or painful urination, pain during intercourse, and pain in the pelvic area. These symptoms can be caused by cancer or other less serious conditions. Most often they are not cancer, but only a doctor can tell for sure.

Cancer of the uterus occurs mostly in women older than 50. Other risk factors for uterine cancer are endometrial hyperplasia; hormone therapy (women who use estrogen and progesterone have an increased risk of this cancer, with those using estrogen alone having the highest risk); obesity and related conditions (the body makes estrogen in fatty tissue, so obese women have higher estrogen levels, putting them at increased risk for cancer); tamoxifen (the risk appears to be linked to the estrogen-like effect of this drug, used to prevent or treat breast cancer); race (white American women are at higher risk than African-American women); and colorectal cancer (women who have an inherited form of this cancer have a higher risk for developing uterine cancer). Other risk factors are related to how long a woman's body is exposed to estrogen. Women who have no children, begin menstruation at a very young age, or enter menopause late in life are exposed to estrogen longer and have a higher risk.