4 major gynecological cancers

On Behalf of | Jun 9, 2015 | Failure To Diagnose

A New Mexico patient who is diagnosed with cancer may be required to undergo different types of treatment. Some cancers are only associated with women’s reproductive systems, and without proper screening, it can be difficult to diagnose the diseases. The four main gynecological cancers to be aware of include cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and vulvar cancer.

While cervical cancer used to be a leading cause of death in U.S. women, screening and vaccines have reduced the number of cases. HPV vaccines are available for women between the ages of nine and 26, and Pap smears can also identify any cells that may be precancerous. If the cancer is found early, 90 percent of women will have a five-year survival rate. Endometrial cancer also has a high survival rate as long as the disease is caught early. The majority of those who develop endometrial cancer have signs of bleeding, and it often occurs post-menopause.

As with other gynecological cancers, ovarian cancer can be easily treated if the disease is diagnosed in its early stages. However, 70 percent of cases are diagnosed in the cancer’s later stages. This cancer can be easy to misdiagnose, as the symptoms are often minor. Vulvar cancer is one of the rarest and least recognizable of the gynecological cancers and often exists without symptoms. Once it is detected, the cancer is generally easy to treat.

Because gynecological cancers can progress swiftly, a misdiagnosis could result in significant harm to a woman. Not only can cancer impact the patient’s ability to live a normal life, family members can also be adversely affected. A patient who has been harmed by such an error may wish to speak with a medical malpractice attorney to see if there are any methods to obtain compensation for the damage that has been sustained.

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