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Don't Get Cancer of the Uterus!

Uterine cancer is still the most common pelvic cancer in women. The average woman has a lifetime risk of 1/38 of getting uterine cancer.  Since risk factors for endometrial cancer, or lining cancer of the uterus (the most common type) include diabetes, being over weight, and irregular periods, there are many women with potentially treatable conditions that are still at risk for this cancer. Screening tests don't exactly exist for uterine lining cancer, the pap rarely picks up uterine cancer and ultrasounds can show abnormalities but we don't routine do ultrasound in everyone. It is not linked to HPV disease or any infections, so testing for those conditions won't help the diagnosis of uterine cancer. Most women with uterine cancer have had treatment for a polyp or a thickening of their uterine lining, so if you have had one of these treatments you are known to be at risk. But prevention is possible with uterine cancer. The best protection factors against uterine cancer include birth control pills, eating well, normalizing your weight and having had children. But there may be an almost simple form of protecting yourself. Can you spare 20 minutes a day if it helped you not get uterine cancer? We know that being over weight increases your risk of lining cancer of the uterus, and we can't exactly prove what weight loss would be necessary to cut your cancer risk, but 20 minutes a day of exercise was  all it takes in the newest study of women, regardless of their size. They looked at about  50 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week may reduce their chances of getting endometrial cancer, regardless of their body mass index, researchers found. So another reason to get off the couch! See you in the pool, on the court or at the track!

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