CHICAGO—Every hour, approximately 10 women in the United States will be diagnosed with a cancer of the reproductive organs—ovarian, cervical, uterine, vaginal, vulvar, or tubal cancer. In response to this sobering statistic, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation is educating women on the importance of early detection and prevention throughout Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month (GCAM) in September.
The acronym GCAM translates into four steps women can take to protect their health:
G—Get to know your family history.
C—Conduct an online cancer risk assessment at www.wcn.org, the website of the Women’s Cancer Network.
A—Ask questions; educate yourself about gynecologic cancer.
M—Make an appointment for your annual gynecologic exam and Pap test.
“More than 80,000 women—mothers, grandmothers, wives, daughters, sisters, and significant others—are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer each year,” Beth Karlan, MD, director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, said in a press release. “In other words, approximately one in every 20 women in the United States will be told they have a gynecologic cancer at sometime in their lives.”
