Being aware of your own body, getting regular checkups-even after menopause-and knowing your family history are the three vital steps women should take to help prevent gynecological cancer.

Nearly 90,000 women annually are diagnosed with some form of gynecological cancer, which includes endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus), ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and rarer cancers such as vaginal or vulvar cancers, and tumors of the placenta.

The good news is that most gynecological cancers, if detected early, have a good prognosis. But the key lies in early detection.

Endometrial Cancer

About 40,000 women a year develop endometrial cancer. While most are women in the post-menopausal stage, younger women can also develop this cancer. Abnormal bleeding is the most common symptom. Those women who are overweight, Caucasian and who have unopposed estrogen replacement therapy (without progesterone) are most at risk. If a certain type of colon cancer runs in your family, you may also be at higher risk for endometrial cancer. A genetic test can help determine this.

If a physician suspects endometrial cancer, he may perform an examination, as well as order an ultrasound, Pap smear and endometrial biopsy. Most women do very well after treatment, usually hysterectomy.

Ovarian Cancer

For all women, there is a 1.4 percent chance that you will develop ovarian cancer in your lifetime. While that sounds like a small risk, the truth is that more than 70 percent of all ovarian cancers are detected once cancer has already spread and it is difficult to treat. Because of this, it is one of the deadliest of all gynecological cancers.

No effective screening test exists for ovarian cancer, but the key is to be cognizant of the symptoms, which include abdominal pain and swelling. Family history is also quite important. About 10 percent of all ovarian cancers are genetic in origin, and a test is available.

If a genetic test comes back positive, many women opt for prophylactic removal of the ovaries, which reduces the risk of cancer by 95 percent. Use of birth control reduces risk by 50 percent.

Cervical Cancer

Thanks to the Pap smear and vigorous education about the human papillomavirus, cervical cancer has become preventable. And statistics have shown that. Since the 1960s, the incidence of cervical cancer has declined dramatically. Only about 14,000 women a year in the United States develop cervical cancer.

But this does not mean that women should become complacent. An emphasis should continue to be placed on a yearly Pap smear. Without this simple test, up to 2 million women every year who have abnormal or precancerous cells in their cervix could go untreated and go on to develop cervical cancer.

Those at risk for cervical cancer continue to almost exclusively be those who have contracted the HPV infection. Smoking and early intercourse are other risk factors. It’s important for parents to discuss the dangers of these risky behaviors starting with their teenage children. An HPV vaccine is also currently under study and has been found to help prevent the virus types that lead to cervical cancer.

Gynecological cancer can be serious if it is not caught early. If you experience a strange symptom, even something that seems unimportant, don’t be embarrassed to talk to your doctor about it. It can’t hurt, and may even help you.

The MCG Gynecological Oncology Prevention Center provides care and treatment for women who have cancers located in the pelvis or reproductive system. These include, but are not limited to, cancers of the ovary, endometrium, uterus, cervix, vagina or vulva. A support group is also available that meets once a month and is a resource for women with gynecological cancer and their families. For more information, call 706-721-3992.

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations -- MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia, or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation, not employees of MCG Health, Inc. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care. For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.