According to statistics, the female sex is somewhat more likely to suffer from oncological diseases than the male: the distribution in percentage terms is about 46-47% for men versus 53-54% among women. For the fair sex, specificity is characteristic – more often it is cancer of the cervix, breast and ovaries. In addition, women suffer from intestinal, skin and gallbladder lesions. The role of infection, stress factors and hormonal changes in the genesis of oncological pathologies is high. It is important to identify the tumor at an early stage, when a complete cure is possible. To detect cancer, it is necessary to take into account complaints of temperature, malaise, changes in discharge. The doctor prescribes a whole course of tests, including specific ones, radiography, tomography and a number of invasive procedures – biopsy, endoscopic methods of visual diagnostics are also needed.
“Female tumors” – cancer of the cervix, ovary, breast
Due to the characteristics of the organism, the typical neoplastic diseases of women include lesions of the reproductive organs – cancer of the cervix, breast or uterus, ovaries. At the same time, early diagnosis and active treatment are possible for cancer of the cervix, breast or uterus, which will help to completely overcome oncology. It is not uncommon for women to have problems with the urinary system, digestive tract and skin, so any suspicious symptoms – the appearance of an unexplained temperature, fluctuations in weight, discharge, malaise, will be a reason to see a doctor. Today, there are a number of alarming symptoms, both from the reproductive system and the whole body, which may indicate a possible tumor growth. Such manifestations should not be ignored due to the fact that the early stages of cancer are actively and successfully treated today, in contrast to advanced processes with distant metastases.
Alarming symptoms: temperature, changes in body volume
Abrupt changes in the size of the abdomen in the absence of pregnancy can become suspicious of tumor growth. In a similar way, tumors of the ovaries or uterus, cervical cancer can manifest themselves. It is possible to enlarge the abdomen due to stretching of the intestinal loops against the background of an existing intestinal tumor, bloating, or accumulation of fluid inside the abdominal cavity. This fluid can be produced by the tumor itself or by surrounding tissues damaged by it. Tumors in the pelvic area can lead to constipation or diarrhea, blood in feces or urinary incontinence, difficulty urinating, or intimacy. If these symptoms persist for more than two weeks in a row, see a doctor immediately.
An alarming sign is a constantly elevated temperature in the absence of signs of infection or obvious reasons for its development. If the temperature remains within the subfebrile range for more than a couple of weeks, this is a reason for examination. Particularly suspicious are those forms of fever that are resistant to antipyretic drugs, and the temperature does not decrease when taking even high doses of medications.
Changing selections
An alarming sign is a sharp change in discharge from the genital tract – the appearance of blood, a large volume of mucus, or a change in color. It is especially alarming if a woman’s discharge changed its character during the postmenopausal period, arose while taking oral contraception or during the intermenstrual period. Doctors ask women to be especially careful about secretions of a bloody or bloody nature, as well as those that have an unpleasant odor and color. Although it can be genital infections or inflammatory processes, but sometimes it is the altered discharge that is the first oncological symptoms.
Additional signs of the disease
It is important to be wary of symptoms such as dramatic weight loss with unchanged diet and physical activity. Although weight loss can be associated with diseases of the endocrine organs (diabetes, thyroid pathology), cancer cannot be ruled out either. Weight loss is often a late and unfavorable sign of cancer.
Often, oncological diseases are accompanied by a constant feeling of fatigue, pronounced apathy and lethargy, which is associated with the destruction of healthy tissues by tumor cells, changes in metabolism. In addition, cancer cells in the process of their metabolism secrete metabolic products that have toxic effects on the female body – they can lead to discomfort.
Symptoms such as pain in the abdomen, groin or pelvic bones, nausea and sudden changes in appetite, itching and discomfort in the genital area, sensation of a foreign body in the perineum, and discomfort during lovemaking may also become signs of illness .
On the part of the breast, such signs of the disease as skin changes (redness, peeling, oozing ), lumps inside the gland and discharge from the nipples can be dangerous .
Diagnostic methods: tests, ultrasound, tomography
If there is a suspicion of tumor processes, a complete examination is necessary. This includes a number of analyzes, ranging from general clinical and ending with specific ones, with the identification of markers of tumor growth. In addition, detailed instrumental diagnostics with visualization of the neoplasm are carried out – this is X-ray and ultrasound, as well as mammography for the mammary gland, hysteroscopy for the uterus and colposcopy for the cervix. If a tumor is suspected, tomography of the area where the neoplasm is suspected is necessary. Today, both computed tomography or MRI can be used, as well as PET tomography, which is more valuable in diagnostic terms, for complex tumor localizations and detection of metastases. When a tumor is detected and its nature is confirmed (benign or cancerous based on the results of a biopsy), treatment tactics are determined, more targeted high-resolution tomography is performed, which determines the possibility of surgical removal or treatment by other methods. At an early stage, with a small size of the neoplasm and without metastasis, the prognosis for a woman regarding life and health is favorable.