Article: Michelle Shaw from Ideas

Breast cancer

The most common symptom is a mass in the breast that the woman detects herself.

This is why all women should carry out a monthly breast self-examination. Other symptoms include discharge from the nipple, nipple retraction where there was previously none, dimpling of the skin and discomfort in the breast.

Although there may be pain, it is not a common symptom of breast cancer.

Due to mammography (X-ray pictures of the breast), specialists now see many women before the mass in their breast can be felt.

A routine mammogram may pick up a mass, or microcalcification, that looks suspicious. A biopsy will determine whether it is benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

If the tumour is malignant, treatment options are varied, depending on the stage of the cancer, the risk factor as well as the patient's age, medical history and preferences.

Treatment

This may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal treatments.

There are two surgical options for early-stage breast cancer, says Dr McAdam.

The first is wide local excision of the cancer with some normal breast tissue around it and perhaps an axillary (armpit) clearance (the lymph nodes are removed to determine whether the cancer cells have entered the lymphatic system), or sentinel lymph node biopsy, a relatively new procedure that identifies the first lymph node that the cancer "drains" to.

If cancer cells are found, a full axillary clearance is done.

The second option is a full mastectomy and axillary clearance. Hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and radiation could be considered after surgery.

When to have a mammogram

At about the age of 50, says Dr McAdam. If your family has a history of breast cancer and your mother was diganosed at an early age, you should have a mammogram before that age.

Because a young woman's breast is quite dense, making it harder to interpret a mammogram, screening usually starts at 50. The incidence of breast cancer begins to increase from 50, which increases the pick-up rate.

Cervical cancer

This is usually identified by a Pap smear, which should be done every two to three years; more often if you're at a high-risk.

Early-stage cervical cancer usually has no symptoms. Later, symptoms include abnormal bleeding, vaginal discharge and pain during sex.

Treatment

For early-stage cervical cancer, it is usually a total hysterectomy and removal of the pelvic lymph nodes. This may be followed by radiation.

Patients who have more advanced disease that is confined to the cervix or pelvis will not have a hysterectomy but will be treated with radiation and sometimes chemotherapy.

A hysterectomy is performed only if the cancer is localised to the cervix.

Colorectal cancer

May not have symptoms. It's picked up with a screening colonoscopy in some cases.

"There's a thinking among gastroenterologists that colon cancer is preventable because it starts from a polyp, which develops into cancer," says Dr McAdam. Anyone who has polyps should be checked regularly.

Symptoms include blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits and cramping.

Occasionally someone will present with no symptoms and have late-stage colorectal cancer that may have spread to the liver and other parts of the body, although this is rare.

Treatment

Usually the affected part of the colon is removed. After surgery some patients may need chemotherapy and radiation.