Last updated 7 days ago
Every year, 8,000 American women die of endometrial cancer. Here is more information about this cancer of the reproductive system and the importance of early detection.
What Is Endometrial Cancer?
Endometrial cancer affects the endometrium, or the innermost lining of the uterus. If left untreated, this cancer can spread throughout the uterus, the pelvic area, and eventually the entire body. Endometrial cancer has few symptoms, but the most common is vaginal bleeding between periods in women who have not yet experienced menopause. Vaginal bleeding in post-menopausal women is also a symptom. Additionally, women may experience pain or cramping in their lower abdomens.
Who Gets Endometrial Cancer?
Though it is most common in post-menopausal women over the age of 60, endometrial cancer can develop in women as young as 40. Obese women and women with diabetes are more likely to develop this form of cancer.
What Causes Endometrial Cancer?
Unfortunately, endometrial cancer has few direct causes and therefore cannot be easily prevented. Doctors have linked this disease to fluctuating levels of estrogen, such as in women who had estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy, women who took the drug Tamoxifen, or women who have irregular ovulation patterns. Women who have never been pregnant or who started menstruating before the age of 12 also have an increased risk of this form of cancer.
How Is It Treated?
The first course of action after a diagnosis of endometrial cancer is a hysterectomy, usually coupled with removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. During the operation, doctors will sometimes remove lymph nodes to keep the cancer from metastasizing. If the cancer is more severe or more developed, patients will undergo radiation, and if necessary, chemotherapy.
If caught early, endometrial cancer is very treatable. Visit your gynecologist every year t check for uterine growths, and make sure you’re on the lookout for symptoms. Many women in Colorado who develop endometrial cancer don’t have the resources to get treatment or don’t qualify for government help, leading to preventable deaths. Please donate to The Colorado BWRC Fund so we can help these women get their lives back. For more information, call (888) 657-2826.
Last updated 9 days ago
10. Get out two big envelopes, address one to “Colorado Department of Revenue,” the other one to the IRS and slap some stamps on both. Okay, THAT’s done.
9. Start sorting your tax info and receipts in a shoebox, then—[-ding- “Message Received”]. Read text. Answer text. Forget what you were doing. Pour yourself a beverage and mouth-breathe in front of the television.
8. Ease into the process. Pull out the state tax form and fill in at least a few blanks, using an erasable ink pen. With indelible ink, check Line 37, indicating you are making a donation to the Colorado BWRC Fund. Fill in donation amount, again using indelible ink pen.
7. Assemble a “2012 Tax Prep Survival Kit.” Be sure to include lots of chocolate. Then, proceed to write it off on your taxes. (That’s allowed, right?)
6. Wear black. It’s so slimming! And if you look good, you feel good, even when filling out tax forms.
5. Make doing your taxes a fun family activity. Involve the kids. Let them fill out the forms. Blindfolded. (Be sure to remove any and all blindfolds when checking Line 37, donating to the BWRC Fund.)
4. Get organized and don’t procrastinate. Between now and April 15, do a little bit every day with the goal of filing early and thus having more time for belly dancing and stamp collecting.
3. Have your dog do your taxes. (Fido always excelled at eating your kid’s homework, so why couldn’t he do this?)
2. Before sitting down to work on your taxes, take three deep breaths, center yourself, and . . . tebow yourself!
And, the number one way to survive tax season:
1. Whether or not you get a refund, go to Line 37 on the state form and donate to the Colorado BWRC Fund. Even if nothing else about taxes is particularly wonderful, helping others is a wonderful thing.Yay for you!
Last updated 12 days ago
At 22, Katie woke up one morning with abdominal pain, which she wrote off as muscle pain or stomach upset. When the pain worsened, she saw a doctor, who found cancer on her left ovary.
Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon scenario and even young women can develop cancer. Watch this brief video to hear more of Katie’s story. Katie says she felt scared and was in disbelief that such a thing could happen to her. But the doctor who eventually removed her ovary and fallopian tube helped her overcome and move beyond the disease.
Now, Katie is cancer-free and feeling great. She tells other women not to let fear or uncertainty keep them from getting answers and treatment.
The Colorado BWRC Fund helps women like Katie beat cancer every day, but we can’t do it without your help. Please donate to our cause by visiting our website or calling (888) 657-2826.
Last updated 19 days ago
Would you like to learn more about how cancer cells form or how reproductive cancers can be detected early? For answers to your questions, check out these informative resources.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides a useful guide to reproductive cancers and explains how they are detected and treated.
- This informative article from the American Cancer Society explains what cervical cancer is and how it can be detected.
- This webpage from the National Institutes of Health reveals what a cancerous tumor is and how it develops.
- How do cancer cells thrive without any reliable source of nourishment? A new study from MIT and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center may have the answer.
To make a donation toward improving the quality of care for cancer patients in Colorado, contact The Colorado BWRC Fund today at (888) 657-2826.
Last updated 27 days ago
In the prevention of cancer, the single most valuable weapon is early detection of cancerous cells. Unfortunately, people with cancer often fail to display any obvious symptoms in the condition’s earliest stages. This is why screening tests, designed for individuals without cancer symptoms are so important.
There are two types of screening tests that can be used to detect reproductive cancers in women:
Pap Smear
This is an examination used to detect signs of cervical cancer. In the test, a cell sample is taken from the cervix and examined for the presence of abnormal cells. This test is generally considered highly effective. Physicians recommend that all women over the age of 30 receive a pap smear every two years, or as often as a physician advises.
Mammogram
This is an X-ray examination used to detect signs of breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute recommends that women receive mammogram screenings at least every two years after the age of 40.
Screening tests are not available for the other reproductive cancers: endometrial, ovarian, vaginal, and vulvar cancer. This means that everyone should be alert to the symptoms of these cancers and consult a physician immediately if any unusual symptoms are detected. For instance, bleeding after menopause may be an indicator of endometrial cancer, and pain in the pelvic area or pain after intercourse may indicate vaginal cancer. The tests that are commonly used to diagnose the presence of cancer include:
- Ultrasound.
- Imaging tests.
- Blood tests.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.
- Computed Technology (CT) scans.
The Colorado BWRC Fund, a project of the Colorado Cancer Coalition, is dedicated to supporting research and prevention of breast cancer and women’s reproduction cancer. Every single donation makes a difference; it goes directly to help women across Colorado. To learn how you can make a difference in the fight against cancer, call The Colorado BWRC Fund today at (888) 657-2826.
