We’ve put together some tips and key information on what you need to know so you can take better care of your body:
1. Can you ‘name the five gynae cancers?
Yes, there are FIVE types of gynaecological cancers and they are separate diseases with different risk factors and symptoms. Ask the women in your life if they can name them, and this will almost certainly spark a conversation about gynae anatomy because the chances are, the person you ask won’t be able to list all five. They are (in order of prevalence) womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal cancer. Know the difference between your vagina and vulva? If in doubt, remember this: vulva is outside and vagina is inside. It’s got the word ‘in’ in it. VagINa! Anyone who has any or all of the gynae organs needs to know about the cancers that can affect them.
2. There is no such thing as a ‘normal’ post-menopause period. Period.
Once a woman has gone through the menopause (hasn’t had a period for 12 months) she cannot menstruate. There are many benign (non-cancer) reasons why a woman may have a vaginal bleed after the menopause, but the fact is that abnormal vaginal bleeding is also a key sign of womb, cervical and vaginal cancers. If anyone you know who is post-menopausal mentions that they have been bleeding, direct them to our Ask Eve service or suggest they visit their GP to be on the safe side.
3. For some reason, we seem to be a lot better at talking bowels than gynae!
The most common symptoms for ovarian cancer are: persistent abdominal bloating and/or pain, a change in bowel habits and needing to wee more frequently. It’s very rare to suddenly develop IBS once you’re over 25-30, but ovarian cancer is most common in women over 60. If your mum/grandma/aunt/older friend complains of any of these symptoms, but investigations for stomach/bowel problems aren’t providing any answers, it’s worth suggesting that they go back to the GP and discuss a gynae pathway.
4. A clear cervical screening test (smear) isn’t a clean bill of gynae health.
Cervical screening tests stop at 64 in the UK, unless a person’s last test wasn’t clear and then further check-ups will take place. There’s often confusion over what a cervical screening test actually does. Cervical screening tests check for abnormal cervical cells, that if left untreated, could potentially develop into cervical cancer. It is not a cancer test, nor is it a test for anything to do with the womb, ovaries, vagina or vulva. If you, or someone you know, had a clear cervical screening test, but they are experiencing some potential gynae cancer symptoms, please suggest they visit their doctor, or at least tell them that cervical screening is just that – cervical screening, not a gynae cancer test.
5. Know your family (medical) history.
Older relatives are highly likely to be able to answer questions about diseases that run in the family, what other older relatives have died from and so on. It’s not a fun conversation by any means, but it really is important to know what medical conditions (if any) run in your family. In terms of gynae cancers, ovarian and womb have hereditary links. Around 5% of womb cancers are caused by a genetic condition called Lynch Syndrome and around 15-20% of ovarian cancers are due to the BRCA gene alteration. The chances are your grandmother may not know about Lynch or BRCA, but she WILL know whether or not her mother had ovarian or womb cancer.
6. If you need to check upstairs, you need to check downstairs too.
Breast cancer is one of the four most common cancers, and checking our breasts for lumps is engrained into most people’s minds. But did your mum also tell you to check your vulva and vagina? Probably not, and for an endless list of reasons. Breast cancer is more common, it’s easier to talk about touching your breasts than it is your genitals and breasts are more visible than what’s between our legs, and we talk about things we can see, right? Checking your vulva for lumps, sores and skin changes is necessary. If your mum told you to check your boobs, then perhaps you can return the (perhaps slightly awkward) favour of telling her to check her vulva.
7. Your vagina is self cleaning.
Discharge is a sign of a healthy vagina (usually white, clear or yellow-tinted, and changes during your menstrual cycle), and helps us be clean. The vagina is also home to lots of ‘good’ bacteria, our microbiome! This microbiome helps keep away infections and is really important in our gynae health. Douching (cleaning inside the vagina), or using any products inside yourself or on your vulva, can disrupt this microbiome and leave you more prone to thrush, inflammatory pelvic disease, and Eve research found that a lower microbiome is linked to an increase risk of ovarian cancer, other evidence also suggests womb cancer too. Gynaecologists recommend just cleaning your vulva (your external genitalia) with water and avoid any products. They can also sometimes mask symptoms that you need to get checked, like recurrent and persistent itching, or bloody (red/brown/pinkish) or foul smelling discharge.
8. Hormones aren’t just for teenagers and everyone needs to know the facts about weight and physical activity.
A lot of people who are going through or have gone through the menopause will take HRT (hormonal replacement therapy) at some point. However, unopposed oestrogen, i.e. oestrogen that isn’t balanced out by progesterone, can put the person at an increased risk of womb cancer. If someone you know is taking HRT, just check with them that it isn’t just oestrogen. Being overweight is an important risk factor for some cancers, womb cancer being one. This is for a very specific reasons – body fat produces oestrogen. One in three womb cancers may be caused by having a very high body weight.
8 Do you know the key symptoms to look out for of the gynae cancers?
a. bleeding that’s different for you, particularly in between periods, post-menopause, after sex and very heavy bleeding
b. skin changes or a persistent itch to your vulva
c. a lump on your vulva or just inside your vagina
d. pelvic discomfort
e. pelvic bloating that doesn’t go away (so lasts for a number of weeks not a few days)
f. changes to toilet habits – both wee and poo changes
g. changes to vaginal discharge that’s different for you
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