Male and Female Reproductive Health Concerns

Testicular Cancer Most common type between males from 15- 34. Risk factors include -Undescended testicles by age 3 -Mumps -Rare condition in which the testicles do not develop normally

Symptoms There may be no symptoms Some that may occur -Discomfort or pain in the testes, or feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. -Pain in the back or lower abdomen -Enlargement of a testicle or a change in the way it feels -Excess development of breast tissue, however, this can occur normally in adolescent boys who do not have testicular cancer -Lump or swelling in either testicle -Symptoms in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, abdomen, pelvis, back, or brain, may also occur if the cancer has spread.

Treatment Once testicular cancer has been diagnosed, treatment depends on the stage. -Stage I cancer has not spread beyond the testicle. -Stage II cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen. -Stage III cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes (it could be as far as the liver, lungs, or brain).

Female Infertility Broad range of test available -General health status checked 1st -Pelvic examinations, ultrasound, CT scans check for structural abnormalities - (gas/pressure measurement) or X-ray w/ contrast material used to check tubes -Blood tests throughout cycle to check hormone levels.

Uterine Cancer Common cancer in women usually 50 and older. -Majority 55-65 yrs old Simple screening not available. Early indication is bleeding -Significant sign in postmenopausal women.

Uterine Cancer Staging-based on degree of localization - I: tumors confined to body of uterus - II: cancer limited to uterus and cervix - III: cancer spread outside of uterus: still in true pelvis - IV: tumor spread to lymph nodes and distant organs

Signs and Symptoms & Treatment Painless vaginal bleeding or spotting is key sign b/c cancer erodes surface tissue Pap smear not dependable for detection Treatment: depends on how advanced and the hormonal growth -hysterectomy: remove the uterus -Radiation

Ovarian Cancer Ovarian cancer is the 5th most common cancer among women. It causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer. The cause is unknown

Risk Factors The more children a woman has and the earlier in live she gives birth, the lower her risk of ovarian cancer. Women with a personal history of breast cancer or a family history of breast or ovarian cancer have an increase risk of ovarian cancer. Women who take estrogen replacement only (not with progesterone) for 5 years or more seem to have a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Birth control pills, however, decrease the risk for ovarian cancer. Studies suggest that fertility drugs do not increase the risk of ovarian cancer Older women are at highest risk of developing ovarian cancer. Most deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older.

Signs and Symptoms Signs and symptoms are often very vague which is why it is often not diagnosed in the early stages. Common symptoms: -Bloating -Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly -Pelvic or Abdominal pain

Treatment Surgery is used to treat all stages of ovarian cancer. For earlier stages of ovarian cancer, it may be the only treatment. Surgery involves: -removal of the uterus -removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes -partial or complete removal of the fatty layer that covers and pads the organs in the abdomen -examination, biopsy, or removal of the lymph nodes and other tissues in the pelvis and abdomen Radiation and Chemotherapy

Ovarian Cancer Prognosis Ovarian cancer is rarely diagnosed in its early stages. It is usually quite advanced by the time diagnosis is made. About 3 out of 4 women with ovarian cancer survive 1 year after diagnosis. Nearly half of women live longer than 5 years after diagnosis. If diagnosis is made early in the disease and treatment is received before the cancer spreads outside the ovary, the 5-year survival rate is very high.