Preventing Gynecologic Cancer
While there's no guaranteed way to prevent gynecologic
cancer, one of the best ways to prevent all forms
of cancer is a healthy lifestyle, including a
balanced diet and regular exercise. Talk with
your doctor about specific preventive measures
you can take.
As with most cancers, it's important to know
your family history of gynecologic cancer. This
will help you take action toward prevention. Plus,
you and your doctor can use this knowledge to
determine the need and frequency of self-examinations
and screening tests.
Recent scientific research has yielded further
clues about preventing certain gynecologic cancers:
- Use of oral contraceptives: Several
studies have shown oral contraceptives are related
to a decreased risk of ovarian cancer and uterine
cancer.
- Smoking: Quitting smoking decreases
your risk of uterine and cervical cancer.
- Sexually transmitted diseases: Use
condoms to prevent the spread of STDs, which
can increase your risk of cervical cancer.
- Tubal ligation: Studies have found
that women who've had a tubal ligation -- surgery
to tie off the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy
-- have a decreased risk of ovarian cancer.
Finally, when thinking about prevention, be aware
of ways to detect these cancers as early as possible.
Most cancers are more successfully treated in
the early stages of the disease. Therefore, it's
important to stick to a schedule of annual gynecologic
exams, including the PAP test, to detect any evidence
of gynecologic cancer at its earliest stages.
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