Bill Clinton heart attack

Bill Clinton heart attack! Clinton hospitalized, discharged after surgery. Former President Clinton was discharged on Friday morning from a Manhattan hospital where he was admitted on Thursday evening and underwent a heart procedure, hospital officials said.

Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery to a higher degree five years ago, and returned Thursday to have a clogged heart artery opened after experiencing chest discomfort.

Two stents were placed inside the artery in a common procedure for people with severe heart condition. Medical officials at the hospital said tests had shown that among the bypasses from the previous operation was completely blocked.

The procedure, which took about an hour, went smoothly, and Clinton was able to bring up two hours later, a doctor said.

More...

Hot Dogs Should Carry Cancer Warning Labels Says US Non Profit Group

A US non-profit organization filed a lawsuit on Wednesday asking a New Jersey county court to force food companies to put labels warning of cancer risks on any hot dogs they sell in New Jersey.

Described by the Los Angeles Times (LAT) as a vegan advocacy group, Cancer Project, wants food companies like Oscar Mayer and Hebrew National, big names in the hot dog world, to put labels on their hot dogs warning that eating this product and other processed meats “increases the risk of cancer”.

President of the Cancer Project, Neal Barnard, who is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University medical school in Washington, DC, told LAT that:

“Just as tobacco causes lung cancer, processed meats are linked to colon cancer.”

“Companies that sell hot dogs are well aware of the danger, and their customers deserve the same information,” he added.

The lawsuit, which according to the LAT is seeking class action status, is brought against ConAgra Foods Inc (owners of Hebrew National), Kraft Foods Inc (owners of Oscar Meyer), Sara Lee Corp, Nathan’s Famous Inc, and Marathon Enterprises Inc.

62 per cent of Americans eat some kind of processed pork, says Cancer Project, adding that in 2006, 1.5 billion pounds of hot dogs were consumed in the US, at an average of 32 pounds a year per person.

The group refers to a report from the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund where scientists say there is no safe amount of processed meat that can be eaten, and that just one 50-gram serving of bacon, sausage, deli meats or other processed meats, every day increases a person’s chance of getting colorectal cancer by 21 per cent on average.

Processed and cured meats contain nitrites which are added to help preserve the meat. When ingested, these break down into nitrosamines and other chemicals that are thought to be cancer-causing.

Every year, about 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and about 50,000 Americans are expected to die of the disease in 2009.

However, there are mixed views about the research evidence, with some scientists saying it could be the fat content of the food (most processed meats also tend to have high fat) that is linked to cancer. For instance a Harvard study that pooled data from several studies found no link between red and processed meat and cancer but it did find there was a lower risk of cancer when fish and chicken consumption was higher.

There has been a strong reaction from the food industry and other nutritionists have also been skeptical.

Sydney Lindner, a spokeswoman from Kraft told the press:

“These proposals are unfounded. Hot dogs have been enjoyed by consumers for more than 100 years.”

One nutrionist interviewed by the LAT said that people should be more worried about the food that is usually eaten with the hot dog, such as fat-laden potato, sugary drinks and desserts and macaroni salads.

Others say that while people should be careful about how much meat they eat, the occasional hot dog is not going to do them any harm. And even if it may be true that eating too much of a certain food like processed meat increases a person’s risk of cancer, putting labels on everything will just lead to “warning fatigue”.

The lawsuit follows a campaign earlier this month when Cancer Project sponsored a provocative highway billboard near Busch Stadium in St. Louis on the day that thousands of baseball fans flocked to watch President Obama throw the opening pitch to the 2009 All-Star Game.

The 48-foot wide digital billboard, located on I-70, one mile west of Lindbergh Boulevard, showed a picture of hot dogs jammed in a cigarette pack carrying the label “Unlucky Strikes” and the text: “Warning: Hot Dogs Can Strike You Out — For Good.”

Cancer Project says on its website that they want Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to put “dietary disaster” warning labels on hot dogs served at Major League Baseball stadiums because, in their words, “processed meats have been convincingly linked to colorectal cancer”.

Cancer Project describes itself as a group of physicians, researchers, and nutritionists who wish to “educate the public about the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival”. The organization is affiliated to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and is based in Washington, DC.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, The Cancer Project.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today

More...

Dense breast tissue is a strong risk factor for breast cancer

If you have dense breasts, you may be at higher risk for breast cancer than you think. Breast density is known to be a strong risk factor for breast cancer. It may be almost as important a factor as age.

Breast density is just one of many risk factors for breast cancer. Young women tend to have dense breasts, but this is generally not a concern if they don’t have other risk factors. Breast density becomes more of an issue after menopause, when other risk factors such as age, weight and activity level may come into play.

If you don’t know if you have dense breasts, ask the next time you have a mammogram. There is not yet a well-defined standard for breast density, but your doctor may be able to help you understand if it is a risk you should take into account.

What is breast density?
Breasts are made up of gland tissue, ligaments and fat. The proportion of these tissues varies among women. Some breasts have a large amount of fatty tissue. Others have mostly gland and connective tissues. This is considered dense tissue because of how it looks on a mammogram.
* Mammogram x-rays pass through fatty tissue, so it looks black (or clear) in a mammogram.
* Mammogram x-rays don’t penetrate dense tissue, so it looks white in a mammogram.

In general, younger women have denser breasts than older women. The proportion of fatty tissue in the breasts tends to increase with age.

Why are dense breasts a problem?

They are a problem for two reasons:
* Dense breasts greatly increase the risk of breast cancer. Women with dense breasts are about four to six times more likely to get breast cancer than women with fatty breasts. Experts are not yet sure what accounts for this increased risk, but it seems to be related to the properties of the dense tissue.
* It’s harder to detect breast cancer in dense breasts. Most breast tumors grow as solid masses that show up as white areas on a mammogram. A tumor may be fairly easy to see in breast that is mostly fatty tissue. But a mammogram may not find a tumor in a dense breast, because both the tumor and the dense tissue appear white.

What should a woman with dense breasts do?
Getting regular mammograms is especially important if you have dense breasts. If you’re at average risk for breast cancer, start getting yearly mammograms and clinical breast exams at age 40. If you’re at high risk, you may need to start screening earlier.

Ask your doctor if you should get a digital mammogram. Compared to the traditional film test, digital mammography seems to be better at finding breast cancer in women who have dense breasts. But it is more expensive, and it’s not widely available.

You can also make efforts to lower your overall cancer risk through

healthy choices:
* Don’t smoke. This is the number one way to lower your cancer risk.
* Stay at a healthy weight. Try to avoid weight gain, especially around your waist.
* Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
* Make healthy food choices. Eat plenty of high-fiber, plant-based foods such as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Limit red meat, saturated fat and salt.
* If you drink, limit alcohol to no more than one drink a day.

More...

Hot Dogs Should Carry Cancer Warning Labels Says US Non Profit Group

A US non-profit organization filed a lawsuit on Wednesday asking a New Jersey county court to force food companies to put labels warning of cancer risks on any hot dogs they sell in New Jersey.

Described by the Los Angeles Times (LAT) as a vegan advocacy group, Cancer Project, wants food companies like Oscar Mayer and Hebrew National, big names in the hot dog world, to put labels on their hot dogs warning that eating this product and other processed meats “increases the risk of cancer”.

President of the Cancer Project, Neal Barnard, who is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University medical school in Washington, DC, told LAT that:

“Just as tobacco causes lung cancer, processed meats are linked to colon cancer.”

“Companies that sell hot dogs are well aware of the danger, and their customers deserve the same information,” he added.

The lawsuit, which according to the LAT is seeking class action status, is brought against ConAgra Foods Inc (owners of Hebrew National), Kraft Foods Inc (owners of Oscar Meyer), Sara Lee Corp, Nathan’s Famous Inc, and Marathon Enterprises Inc.

62 per cent of Americans eat some kind of processed pork, says Cancer Project, adding that in 2006, 1.5 billion pounds of hot dogs were consumed in the US, at an average of 32 pounds a year per person.

The group refers to a report from the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund where scientists say there is no safe amount of processed meat that can be eaten, and that just one 50-gram serving of bacon, sausage, deli meats or other processed meats, every day increases a person’s chance of getting colorectal cancer by 21 per cent on average.

Processed and cured meats contain nitrites which are added to help preserve the meat. When ingested, these break down into nitrosamines and other chemicals that are thought to be cancer-causing.

Every year, about 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and about 50,000 Americans are expected to die of the disease in 2009.

However, there are mixed views about the research evidence, with some scientists saying it could be the fat content of the food (most processed meats also tend to have high fat) that is linked to cancer. For instance a Harvard study that pooled data from several studies found no link between red and processed meat and cancer but it did find there was a lower risk of cancer when fish and chicken consumption was higher.

There has been a strong reaction from the food industry and other nutritionists have also been skeptical.

Sydney Lindner, a spokeswoman from Kraft told the press:

“These proposals are unfounded. Hot dogs have been enjoyed by consumers for more than 100 years.”

One nutrionist interviewed by the LAT said that people should be more worried about the food that is usually eaten with the hot dog, such as fat-laden potato, sugary drinks and desserts and macaroni salads.

Others say that while people should be careful about how much meat they eat, the occasional hot dog is not going to do them any harm. And even if it may be true that eating too much of a certain food like processed meat increases a person’s risk of cancer, putting labels on everything will just lead to “warning fatigue”.

The lawsuit follows a campaign earlier this month when Cancer Project sponsored a provocative highway billboard near Busch Stadium in St. Louis on the day that thousands of baseball fans flocked to watch President Obama throw the opening pitch to the 2009 All-Star Game.

The 48-foot wide digital billboard, located on I-70, one mile west of Lindbergh Boulevard, showed a picture of hot dogs jammed in a cigarette pack carrying the label “Unlucky Strikes” and the text: “Warning: Hot Dogs Can Strike You Out — For Good.”

Cancer Project says on its website that they want Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to put “dietary disaster” warning labels on hot dogs served at Major League Baseball stadiums because, in their words, “processed meats have been convincingly linked to colorectal cancer”.

Cancer Project describes itself as a group of physicians, researchers, and nutritionists who wish to “educate the public about the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival”. The organization is affiliated to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and is based in Washington, DC.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, The Cancer Project.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today

More...

Dense breast tissue is a strong risk factor for breast cancer

If you have dense breasts, you may be at higher risk for breast cancer than you think. Breast density is known to be a strong risk factor for breast cancer. It may be almost as important a factor as age.

Breast density is just one of many risk factors for breast cancer. Young women tend to have dense breasts, but this is generally not a concern if they don’t have other risk factors. Breast density becomes more of an issue after menopause, when other risk factors such as age, weight and activity level may come into play.

If you don’t know if you have dense breasts, ask the next time you have a mammogram. There is not yet a well-defined standard for breast density, but your doctor may be able to help you understand if it is a risk you should take into account.

What is breast density?
Breasts are made up of gland tissue, ligaments and fat. The proportion of these tissues varies among women. Some breasts have a large amount of fatty tissue. Others have mostly gland and connective tissues. This is considered dense tissue because of how it looks on a mammogram.
* Mammogram x-rays pass through fatty tissue, so it looks black (or clear) in a mammogram.
* Mammogram x-rays don’t penetrate dense tissue, so it looks white in a mammogram.

In general, younger women have denser breasts than older women. The proportion of fatty tissue in the breasts tends to increase with age.

Why are dense breasts a problem?

They are a problem for two reasons:
* Dense breasts greatly increase the risk of breast cancer. Women with dense breasts are about four to six times more likely to get breast cancer than women with fatty breasts. Experts are not yet sure what accounts for this increased risk, but it seems to be related to the properties of the dense tissue.
* It’s harder to detect breast cancer in dense breasts. Most breast tumors grow as solid masses that show up as white areas on a mammogram. A tumor may be fairly easy to see in breast that is mostly fatty tissue. But a mammogram may not find a tumor in a dense breast, because both the tumor and the dense tissue appear white.

What should a woman with dense breasts do?
Getting regular mammograms is especially important if you have dense breasts. If you’re at average risk for breast cancer, start getting yearly mammograms and clinical breast exams at age 40. If you’re at high risk, you may need to start screening earlier.

Ask your doctor if you should get a digital mammogram. Compared to the traditional film test, digital mammography seems to be better at finding breast cancer in women who have dense breasts. But it is more expensive, and it’s not widely available.

You can also make efforts to lower your overall cancer risk through

healthy choices:
* Don’t smoke. This is the number one way to lower your cancer risk.
* Stay at a healthy weight. Try to avoid weight gain, especially around your waist.
* Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
* Make healthy food choices. Eat plenty of high-fiber, plant-based foods such as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Limit red meat, saturated fat and salt.
* If you drink, limit alcohol to no more than one drink a day.

More...

WHO says the H1N1 flu is the fastest-moving pandemic ever

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the H1N1 flu is the fastest-moving pandemic ever, spreading as much in less than 6 weeks as past pandemic flu viruses spread in more than 6 months. Because of this rapid spread, the agency has revised its reporting requirements so that authorities need not report every case but only clusters of severe cases or deaths caused by the virus or unusual clinical patterns.

The first Mexican patient with a confirmed case of H1N1 flu said symptoms began on March 17, only 11 days before the first case on the American side of the border. The first U.S. case was in a 9-year-old girl in Imperial County, California, who got sick with a fever on Mar 28, with the second a 10-year-old boy in neighboring San Diego County who fell ill on Mar 30. By April 26, a public health emergency had been declared in the U.S. and by June 19, slightly more than a week after the WHO raised the worldwide pandemic alert to Phase 6, all 50 states in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands had reported H1N1 infection.

Since the declaration of a pandemic, at which time 70 countries had reported cases of the novel virus, the H1N1 virus has continued to spread, with the number of countries reporting cases nearly doubling. In the Southern Hemisphere, where regular flu season has begun, countries are reporting that the H1N1 virus is spreading and causing illness along with regular seasonal influenza. In the U.S., significant H1N1 illness has continued into the summer, with localized and, in some cases, intense outbreaks occurring. More than 50 summer camps in 20 states have sent kids home early or canceled sessions after suspected outbreaks.

The United States continues to report the largest number of H1N1 cases of any country worldwide—40,617 at last count. But flu experts say that in actuality at least a million Americans are infected, with as many as 500,000 in New York, where 57 of the 263 U.S. deaths have occurred. The global death toll from the H1N1 virus has doubled in the past three weeks, rising to more than 700 from about 330 at the beginning of July, the WHO said.

Given its activity to date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations, and more deaths associated with this pandemic over the summer, with a potential to cause significant illness into the fall and winter in conjunction with the regular influenza season. The good news, however, is that most people who have become ill have recovered within a week without requiring medical treatment.

So where do we stand on an H1N1 vaccine? The first human trials kicked off this week in the southern city of Adelaide, Australia. Vaxine began trials Monday with 300 volunteers, and CSL began a seven-month trial on Wednesday involving 240 healthy adults, ages 18 to 64, that will receive two shots at three week intervals and will undergo blood tests to determine if they are generating an appropriate immune response to the virus. Vaxine research director Nikolai Petrovsky says it will take between six and eight weeks before they know whether the vaccine is effective. “There is no guarantee any of these vaccines will work,” he said. “Swine flu is a very peculiar beast; it’s a very different virus that we’re dealing with. But we are hopeful.”

In the U.S., Dr. Kathryn Edwards, who has studied vaccinations for years, will be heading a study of the H1N1 vaccine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee to determine how quickly the vaccine can get to the general public. “We will study this vaccine in people of all ages,” she said. “First we will start out in normal healthy adults.” The study will eventually expand to a larger group and will take place in the next couple of months. “We obviously will be working very rapidly to try and get as much information as possible because what we’d like to show is that it works very well in a range of patients.”

More...

WHO says the H1N1 flu is the fastest-moving pandemic ever

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the H1N1 flu is the fastest-moving pandemic ever, spreading as much in less than 6 weeks as past pandemic flu viruses spread in more than 6 months. Because of this rapid spread, the agency has revised its reporting requirements so that authorities need not report every case but only clusters of severe cases or deaths caused by the virus or unusual clinical patterns.

The first Mexican patient with a confirmed case of H1N1 flu said symptoms began on March 17, only 11 days before the first case on the American side of the border. The first U.S. case was in a 9-year-old girl in Imperial County, California, who got sick with a fever on Mar 28, with the second a 10-year-old boy in neighboring San Diego County who fell ill on Mar 30. By April 26, a public health emergency had been declared in the U.S. and by June 19, slightly more than a week after the WHO raised the worldwide pandemic alert to Phase 6, all 50 states in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands had reported H1N1 infection.

Since the declaration of a pandemic, at which time 70 countries had reported cases of the novel virus, the H1N1 virus has continued to spread, with the number of countries reporting cases nearly doubling. In the Southern Hemisphere, where regular flu season has begun, countries are reporting that the H1N1 virus is spreading and causing illness along with regular seasonal influenza. In the U.S., significant H1N1 illness has continued into the summer, with localized and, in some cases, intense outbreaks occurring. More than 50 summer camps in 20 states have sent kids home early or canceled sessions after suspected outbreaks.

The United States continues to report the largest number of H1N1 cases of any country worldwide—40,617 at last count. But flu experts say that in actuality at least a million Americans are infected, with as many as 500,000 in New York, where 57 of the 263 U.S. deaths have occurred. The global death toll from the H1N1 virus has doubled in the past three weeks, rising to more than 700 from about 330 at the beginning of July, the WHO said.

Given its activity to date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations, and more deaths associated with this pandemic over the summer, with a potential to cause significant illness into the fall and winter in conjunction with the regular influenza season. The good news, however, is that most people who have become ill have recovered within a week without requiring medical treatment.

So where do we stand on an H1N1 vaccine? The first human trials kicked off this week in the southern city of Adelaide, Australia. Vaxine began trials Monday with 300 volunteers, and CSL began a seven-month trial on Wednesday involving 240 healthy adults, ages 18 to 64, that will receive two shots at three week intervals and will undergo blood tests to determine if they are generating an appropriate immune response to the virus. Vaxine research director Nikolai Petrovsky says it will take between six and eight weeks before they know whether the vaccine is effective. “There is no guarantee any of these vaccines will work,” he said. “Swine flu is a very peculiar beast; it’s a very different virus that we’re dealing with. But we are hopeful.”

In the U.S., Dr. Kathryn Edwards, who has studied vaccinations for years, will be heading a study of the H1N1 vaccine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee to determine how quickly the vaccine can get to the general public. “We will study this vaccine in people of all ages,” she said. “First we will start out in normal healthy adults.” The study will eventually expand to a larger group and will take place in the next couple of months. “We obviously will be working very rapidly to try and get as much information as possible because what we’d like to show is that it works very well in a range of patients.”

More...

Health Information: 5 Reproductive Cancers Women Should Know About

Gynecologic cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells that first appear in the female reproductive organs. These can include the cervix, ovaries, uterus, vagina and vulva.

Many of these cancers are linked to aging, genetics and some lifestyle and environmental factors. If you know your risks, you can take action to lower your odds of getting these five gynecologic cancers.

1. Ovarian cancer

* What it is: Ovarian cancer is one of the most serious gynecologic cancers. It usually starts on the surface of the ovary. It is often not diagnosed until it’s in the advanced stages.
* Symptoms: Ovarian cancer may not cause obvious symptoms in its early stages. As it progresses, symptoms may include pressure or fullness in the pelvis, abdominal bloating or changes in bowel habits (such as gas, constipation or diarrhea), and feeling very tired.
* Risk factors: Risk increases with age, especially around menopause. Other risks include having a family or personal history of ovarian cancer, never being pregnant and perhaps taking estrogen-only hormone therapy for many years to treat menopause symptoms.

2. Uterine or endometrial cancer

* What it is: Most uterine cancers start in the lining of the uterus (endometrium) after menopause. Those cells in the lining that grow out of control and invade the uterine tissue typically cause uterine cancer.
* Symptoms: Warning signs may include unusual vaginal bleeding, any bleeding after menopause, difficult or painful urination, pain during sex and pelvic pain.
* Risk factors: Many of the risk factors for these cancers have to do with the body’s estrogen levels. Estrogen-related factors include being obese (fatty tissue makes estrogen), using estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy, taking the estrogen-like medication tamoxifen to treat breast cancer, starting menstruation early or menopause late, and never being pregnant. Also, being white or having a certain inherited form of colorectal cancer raises the risk of getting uterine cancer.

3. Cervical cancer

* What it is: Cervical cancer is caused by abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix, the opening to the uterus.
* Symptoms: Cervical cancer can cause bleeding after sex, vaginal discharge and abnormal bleeding between periods.
* Risk factors: Having human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main risk factor. HPV infections are very common, but some types can cause precancerous changes that may turn into cervical cancer. HPV is passed through sexual contact. Smoking raises the risk of cervical cancer in women with HPV. Regular pap tests can help detect precancerous cells to prevent cervical cancer.

4. Vulvar cancer

* What it is: Vulvar cancer is an uncommon cancer of the external female genitals, which include the vaginal lips and opening to the vagina. It is a slow-growing cancer and is most common in older women.
* Symptoms: Itching in the vulvar area that lasts for more than a month is the most common symptom. Pain, bleeding or burning and discharge may also occur.
* Risk factors: Age is a risk factor for vulvar cancer. Most women with this cancer are over 50. HPV (human papillomavirus) infection also raises the risk for vulvar cancer, especially if it develops in women younger than 40. HPV can cause precancerous changes like those that can lead to cervical cancer. Smoking raises the risk of vulvar cancer in women with HPV.

5. Vaginal cancer

* What it is: This is a rare type of cancer that forms inside the vaginal canal. It is most common in older women.
* Symptoms: Early vaginal cancer often has no symptoms. If symptoms do develop, they typically include pain, discharge and bleeding.
* Risk factors: The HPV infection is linked to vaginal cancer. Having cervical cancer or precancerous cells in the cervix raises the risk for vaginal cancer.

Lowering your risk
Knowing your family history can increase your chance of early diagnosis and help you take action toward prevention. Diet, exercise and lifestyle changes play a large role in preventing cancer. Finally, screening and self-examinations done regularly can detect certain types of reproductive cancers in their earlier stages, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

Have regular check-ups and report these symptoms to your doctor:
* Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
* A sore that does not heal
* Pain or pressure in the pelvic area
* A persistent change in bowel or bladder habits
* Frequent indigestion or abdominal bloating
* A thickening or lump that either causes pain or can be seen or felt
[myoptumhealth]

More...

Health Information: 5 Reproductive Cancers Women Should Know About

Gynecologic cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells that first appear in the female reproductive organs. These can include the cervix, ovaries, uterus, vagina and vulva.

Many of these cancers are linked to aging, genetics and some lifestyle and environmental factors. If you know your risks, you can take action to lower your odds of getting these five gynecologic cancers.

1. Ovarian cancer

* What it is: Ovarian cancer is one of the most serious gynecologic cancers. It usually starts on the surface of the ovary. It is often not diagnosed until it’s in the advanced stages.
* Symptoms: Ovarian cancer may not cause obvious symptoms in its early stages. As it progresses, symptoms may include pressure or fullness in the pelvis, abdominal bloating or changes in bowel habits (such as gas, constipation or diarrhea), and feeling very tired.
* Risk factors: Risk increases with age, especially around menopause. Other risks include having a family or personal history of ovarian cancer, never being pregnant and perhaps taking estrogen-only hormone therapy for many years to treat menopause symptoms.

2. Uterine or endometrial cancer

* What it is: Most uterine cancers start in the lining of the uterus (endometrium) after menopause. Those cells in the lining that grow out of control and invade the uterine tissue typically cause uterine cancer.
* Symptoms: Warning signs may include unusual vaginal bleeding, any bleeding after menopause, difficult or painful urination, pain during sex and pelvic pain.
* Risk factors: Many of the risk factors for these cancers have to do with the body’s estrogen levels. Estrogen-related factors include being obese (fatty tissue makes estrogen), using estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy, taking the estrogen-like medication tamoxifen to treat breast cancer, starting menstruation early or menopause late, and never being pregnant. Also, being white or having a certain inherited form of colorectal cancer raises the risk of getting uterine cancer.

3. Cervical cancer

* What it is: Cervical cancer is caused by abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix, the opening to the uterus.
* Symptoms: Cervical cancer can cause bleeding after sex, vaginal discharge and abnormal bleeding between periods.
* Risk factors: Having human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main risk factor. HPV infections are very common, but some types can cause precancerous changes that may turn into cervical cancer. HPV is passed through sexual contact. Smoking raises the risk of cervical cancer in women with HPV. Regular pap tests can help detect precancerous cells to prevent cervical cancer.

4. Vulvar cancer

* What it is: Vulvar cancer is an uncommon cancer of the external female genitals, which include the vaginal lips and opening to the vagina. It is a slow-growing cancer and is most common in older women.
* Symptoms: Itching in the vulvar area that lasts for more than a month is the most common symptom. Pain, bleeding or burning and discharge may also occur.
* Risk factors: Age is a risk factor for vulvar cancer. Most women with this cancer are over 50. HPV (human papillomavirus) infection also raises the risk for vulvar cancer, especially if it develops in women younger than 40. HPV can cause precancerous changes like those that can lead to cervical cancer. Smoking raises the risk of vulvar cancer in women with HPV.

5. Vaginal cancer

* What it is: This is a rare type of cancer that forms inside the vaginal canal. It is most common in older women.
* Symptoms: Early vaginal cancer often has no symptoms. If symptoms do develop, they typically include pain, discharge and bleeding.
* Risk factors: The HPV infection is linked to vaginal cancer. Having cervical cancer or precancerous cells in the cervix raises the risk for vaginal cancer.

Lowering your risk
Knowing your family history can increase your chance of early diagnosis and help you take action toward prevention. Diet, exercise and lifestyle changes play a large role in preventing cancer. Finally, screening and self-examinations done regularly can detect certain types of reproductive cancers in their earlier stages, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

Have regular check-ups and report these symptoms to your doctor:
* Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
* A sore that does not heal
* Pain or pressure in the pelvic area
* A persistent change in bowel or bladder habits
* Frequent indigestion or abdominal bloating
* A thickening or lump that either causes pain or can be seen or felt
[myoptumhealth]

More...