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Irregular menstruation cycle may be sign of cancer, expert warns Sept. 13, 2006 Women with long-term irregular menstruation cycles might be in danger of endometrial cancer and obesity is a major contributing factor to the disease, said an obstetrician on Thursday. Endometrial cancer, or cancer in the inner lining of the cervix, usually happens to post-menopausal women who are in the 45 to 59 age group, said Lee Chun-yi, an obstetrician at Min-Sheng General Hospital. Approximately 60 percent of the cases happen to women who are in their fifties, while only 15 percent of the cases are those younger than 40 years old, said the doctor. "However, we have noticed that the disease has become more prevalent among pre-menopausal women in their thirties," said the doctors, adding that overweight women who have never been pregnant or those suffering from diabetes or hypertension, are most prone to the disease. He cited an example of a 37 year-old woman who died three months after she was diagnosed. The woman, said Lee, who suffered muscle cramps, abdominal pain, and heavy menstrual flow for a number of years never sought professional help, instead opting to use over-the-counter drugs to relieve her discomfort. By the time she discovered her cancer, it was too late to start any treatment, said the doctor. "Just like any disease, early detection and early treatment are the keys in combating cancer. Simple procedures such as a pap smear or an endometrial biopsy can have up to a 98 percent accuracy rate in detecting for this type of cancer." According to Mayo Clinic, one of the leading health authorities in the world, endometrial cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women and if discovered early, the cancer can usually be confined to the uterus and not spread to other parts of the body and the cancer could usually be eliminated by removing the uterus. Although most cases of endometrial cancer are not preventable, certain factors can lower the risk of developing the disease. These factors include taking hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women, maintaining a healthy weight, and a history of taking oral contraceptives. Lee said 60 percent of the younger women with endometrial cancer are overweight individuals whose body mass index is above 30. Excessive body fat can increase the body's production of estrogen and this increases the chance for endometrial cancer. The high-risk group also includes women with high blood pressure and diabetes, women who are infertile and those who have never been pregnant. Source : http://english.www.gov.tw
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