5 common facts about cervical cancer that women should know

With India launching its first cervical cancer vaccine, it is important to understand how cervical cancer affects the health of women. The conversation around women’s health for long has been ignored and it is time that their health conditions are given equal importance if not more. Cervical cancer is one such disease that affects women.

In this type of cancer, the cells of the cervix are affected which eventually leads to the cancer. Cervical cancers are usually caused by different types of sexually transmitted infections that are known as human papillomavirus (HPV). Regular visits to the gynaecologist and check-ups can help prevent the disease. Also, it is important that you practice safe sex so as to prevent the disease. Here are some facts about cervical cancer that women should know.

1. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is known to be the most common cause of this form of cancer. This virus can get transmitted from one individual to the other during sexual activities and therefore, it is important to resort to safe sexual practices.
2. All strains of the human papillomavirus do not cause cancer. There are many strains of the HPV family and not all of them cause cancer. Only some of them might be a cause of cancer, others might just cause some sort of an infection.
3. Vaccines can help prevent the risks of cancer. When you take the HPV vaccine, you are essentially protected against the virus. If the virus enters your body, your body will produce antibodies to fight the virus and that will eventually prevent the risks of cancer.
4. This form of cancer is preventable. Regular checkups and screenings can help to prevent the disease. You might also go for Pap testing to keep check if you are developing the disease or have developed the disease.
5. Oral contraceptives and smoking increase the risks. When you smoke, the immune system might become weak and that will make it difficult for the immune system to fight the virus.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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On oral contraceptive pills? You could be at risk of heart disease

Use of oral contraceptive pill (OCP) or other types of birth control measures that have hormones, in healthy and young women, is a comfortable and safe method to prevent pregnancy. There are some women, though, who may be at higher risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and blood clots. It is advisable that all pregnancy control measures be prescribed by your physician; this way, you can discuss the pros and cons. Self-prescription should be avoided at all cost. A Senior Gynaecologist,  talks about how OCP is interlined to heart diseases.

How can oral contraceptive pills elevate heart risk?
Doctors call these pills as ‘hormonal birth control measure’. As the name suggests, hormones including estrogen and progestin, are key components of the pill. These hormones are also present in other forms of pregnancy control measures, such as injections, intrauterine devices (IUDs), the patch, a device implanted under the skin called Nexplanon and the vaginal ring.

Studies show the hormones in these forms of birth control measures can affect your heart in many ways; they may raise your blood pressure, for instance. So if you take birth control pills, get your blood pressure tested every 6 months to ensure it stays in a healthy range. If you already have high blood pressure, talk with your doctor to see if there is another safe way to prevent pregnancy, that would suit you better. Women who consume certain birth control pills may see a change in some of their blood fats that play a role in heart disease. For example, your levels of HDL "good" cholesterol could go down; at the same time, Triglycerides and LDL "bad" cholesterol may go up. This may be the reason of gradual build-up of a fatty substance called plaque inside your arteries. Over a course of time, that can reduce or block the flow of blood to your heart and cause a heart attack or angina (a type of chest pain). Estrogen in birth control pills can also increase your risk of blood clots!

When on OCP, risk of heart disease and other complications is higher if you:

• Are older than 35 years
• Have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol
• Smoke
• Have ever had a stroke, heart attack or blood clots
• Suffer from migraines with aura                              

How to lower your risk of heart disease when on OCP?
If you fall under any of the categories listed above that raise your risk for heart disease, you may still be able to use birth control. The most important thing you can do is to discuss your concerns with your doctor. They will help you weigh the pros and cons, against each birth control option that is offered to you.

If you're over 35 years, healthy, and don't smoke, you can keep using hormonal birth control. However, you shouldn't use birth control with estrogen if you have ever had blood clots, stroke or heart disease. Instead, speak with your doctor about pregnancy control methods that only have Progestin. These include shots, a type of birth control pill called the mini pill or POP, Nexplanon, and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

No matter your age, if you use birth control pills, you are at risk and should, therefore, make well-informed decisions after speaking to your doctor.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Obesity and alcohol responsible for nearly 30,000 cases of breast cancers in the next decade

Maintaining a healthy weight and not consuming alcohol regularly could help prevent thousands of breast cancer cases, a new big data study by researchers has found. The findings could help inform future cancer control strategies.

The large collaborative study was published recently. It pooled six Australian cohort studies including over 200,000 women and evaluated what proportion of pre-menopausal and post-menopausal breast cancers could be prevented by modifying current behaviours.

“We found that current levels of overweight and obesity are responsible for the largest proportion of preventable future breast cancers – more specifically, 17,500 or 13% of breast cancers in the next decade,” says study author and a Dr.

“Regular alcohol consumption is the second largest contributor – 13% of pre-menopausal and 6% of post-menopausal breast cancers, that is 11,600 cases over the next 10 years, are attributable to consuming alcohol regularly.”

This was the first time that regular alcohol consumption was shown as the leading modifiable cause of breast cancer burden for pre-menopausal women.

Although the current Australian recommendation is to not drink more than two alcoholic drinks per day on average, the study found that risk of breast cancer increased with an average consumption of just one alcoholic drink per day.

More than half of Australian women currently report drinking alcohol regularly, and three in five Australian women are overweight or obese.

The researchers also found current use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) to explain 7% of postmenopausal breast cancers, with over 90% of this burden explained by a long-term use of at least 5 years. Similarly, the researchers found current long-term use of oral contraceptives to explain 7% of
premenopausal breast cancers.

“Our findings support the current Australian and international recommendations of using MHT for the shortest duration possible, and only to alleviate menopausal symptoms, not for the prevention of chronic disease,” Dr. says.

“When it comes to oral contraception, it is not recommended that women restrict their use of OCs – the latest position statement from Cancer Council says that over the course of a woman’s lifetime, the net effect of OCs is actually cancer-protective, as they provide long-term protection against endometrial and ovarian cancers, meaning that the potential benefits, including reproductive benefits, outweigh the harms.”

Jointly, these behavioural and hormonal factors explain about one in five breast cancers, amounting to 37,000 breast cancers over the next 10 years.

For the first time, the researchers were able to compare the breast cancer burden for different population subgroups. They identified population subgroups with the greatest burden of preventable
post-menopausal breast cancer.

“For instance, we found that the body fatness-related burden is greatest (20%) among those with lower educational attainment, and the MHT-related burden is greatest (10%) among those of healthy weight, those consuming alcohol more frequently and those of higher socioeconomic status,” Dr.
says.
The findings may help to target preventative measures to high-burden subgroups that are likely to benefit most.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Australia and worldwide – in 2018, an estimated 18,000 Australian women were diagnosed with breast cancer. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in Australian women.

“That means that consequently, even relatively small preventable proportions translate into large numbers of preventable breast cancers,” the Dr. says.

“If confirmed, these findings are likely to contribute important evidence for individual and populationlevel cancer control strategies,” the Dr. concludes.

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