Previous
Next

Gynaecological cancers 

Women can be affected by cancer of the uterus, ovary, cervix, vulva, vagina and Fallopian tube. Symptoms which can indicate a gynaecological cancer may also indicate a benign cause, so a thorough history is always important. 

Click on the titles to see risk factors for the various cancers:

Increasing age, obesity, anovulatory conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, the use of oestrogen-only HRT, or sub-optimal doses of a progestogen in non-hysterectomised women, diabetes, tamoxifen use, oestrogen-secreting ovarian tumours, Lynch syndrome.

Increasing age, family history, endometriosis, use of hormone replacement therapy, increased number of ovulatory cycles (e.g. nulliparity, early menarche or late menopause), smoking, increased weight, asbestos exposure.

Infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) and risk factors that make this more likely (such as multiple partners, early age of first intercourse, history of sexually transmitted infections, immunosuppression and lack of use of barrier contraception), smoking, high parity, family history, use of combined hormonal contraception for more than five years.

HPV (younger women), long-term inflammatory dermatoses such as lichen sclerosus and lichen planus (older women).

Increasing age, HPV, lupus, HIV, maternal use of diethylstilboestrol while pregnant, past history of cervical or endometrial cancer.

Family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

More information can be found in the following resources:

• Cancer Research page on gynaecological cancer.
• Primary care dermatology society page on vulval intraepithelial neoplasia and squamous cell carcinoma.

Previous
Next