What Do You Know About Reproductive Cancers?

Most testicular cancers are found by men on their own. Talk with your healthcare provider about whether you should do a testicular self-exam and how often you should do it. Some providers advise that all men do monthly testicular self-exams after puberty. If you do one, the best time is during or right after a shower or bath. This is when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed. Men should see a healthcare provider if they notice any of the following symptoms:

• A painless lump or swelling in either testicle
• Any enlargement of a testicle or change in the way it feels
• A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
• A dull ache in the lower belly (abdomen) or where the thigh meets the belly (called the groin)
• A sudden build-up of fluid in the scrotum
• Pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum

These symptoms can be caused by cancer or by other conditions. It's important to see a healthcare provider to find out the cause of any symptoms.

Prostate cancer seldom causes symptoms when it's small. This is why it's important for men to talk with a healthcare provider about their risk and decide if screening is right for them. Screening tests can help find cancer before it starts causing symptoms. The most important screening test for prostate cancer is a simple blood test called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Some providers add a digital rectal exam (DRE) to feel for nodules or an enlarged prostate. Symptoms of later-stage prostate cancer include:

• A need to pee (urinate) often, especially at night
• Trouble starting urine flow
• Problems holding back urine
• Weak or stop-and-go flow of urine
• Pain or burning feeling when peeing
• Trouble getting an erection
• Pain with ejaculation
• Blood in urine or semen
• Pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs

Many of these symptoms can be caused by other, less serious health problems, such as prostate swelling or an infection. But someone who has symptoms like these should see a healthcare provider to be sure they are not caused by prostate cancer.

Factors that put a woman at risk of developing ovarian cancer are:

• Family history. Having a mother, daughter, or sister with the disease puts you at increased risk. If you have a close relative who has had ovarian cancer, genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA 2 is important. These are genetic mutations closely linked to breast and ovarian cancer.
• Age. Most ovarian cancers start after menopause, and about half of them are in women 63 or older.
• Childbearing. People who have never carried a pregnancy to full term are more likely to develop this cancer.
• Personal history. Women who have had breast, uterine, rectum, or colon cancer may have a greater chance of developing ovarian cancer.

Hormone therapy (HT) may also raise risk. Some studies suggest that people who use HT after menopause may have a slightly increased risk. Having 1 or more of the risk factors mentioned here does not mean that a person is sure to develop ovarian cancer. But the chance may be higher than average.

Other symptoms include:

• General abdominal discomfort, pain, or both. Discomfort may include gas, indigestion, pressure, swelling, bloating, or cramps.
• Feeling tired all the time
• Needing to pee often
• Pain during sex
• Irregular vaginal bleeding

These symptoms are common and more often related to less serious health problems. If they happen often or are getting worse, a woman should see a healthcare provider so the problem can be found and, if needed, treated.

Endometrial cancer is most common in women older than 50. Other risk factors for this cancer are:

• Endometrial hyperplasia
• Hormone therapy. People who use estrogen to treat menopause symptoms are at higher risk.
• Overweight and obesity. Estrogen can be made in fatty tissue, so overweight women have higher estrogen levels. This puts them at increased risk for this cancer.
• Diabetes. Endometrial cancer is about 2 times more likely in women with type 2 diabetes compared with those without it.
• Family history. Women who have certain cancer syndromes linked to gene changes that are passed in families are at increased risk. This includes hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch syndrome.

Other risk factors are related to how long a woman's body is exposed to estrogen. Those who have no children, start their periods (menstruation) at a very young age, or enter menopause late in life are exposed to estrogen longer and have a higher risk.