The other women's cancers

Taboo cancers

Pauline Barnes, 59, from Cheshire was seeing a consultant regularly for a skin irritation around her vulva in 2002 when she spotted an ulcer. 'I was referred to a gynaecologist and she found some pre-cancerous cells through a biopsy.'

'It was embarrassing as it's a very personal area, which made it difficult to explain to people, but talking about it helped make other people aware as it's quite rare.'

Pauline became more aware of her own body as a result, 'Two years after having surgery I found another lump myself and it was cancer, so I knew what to expect.' She has now been given the 'all clear'.

What you can do: Pauline advises, 'If you have any irritation or changes down below that is not responding to over-the-counter cream, seek immediate advice.'

Common cancers that affect women

Lung cancer

But why are women in particular at risk? Female smoking habits are 20 years behind those of men. In the 1940s, 65 per cent of men and 41 per cent of women smoked. But two decades later, in the Swinging Sixties men started to give up whilst women continued to puff away. This means that nowadays rates of lung cancer are higher for women, peaking between 75 and 79 years of age. Every year 13,400 women fall victim.

Mike Unger, Chief Executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation (www.roycastle.org/) says, 'People don't realise that lung cancer has been a bigger killer than breast cancer since 1999. Twenty-two per cent of all cancer deaths are down to lung cancer,' he says. 'Female lungs tend to be smaller so those who smoke or are affected from passive smoking are more vulnerable,' says Mike Unger.

What you can do: Watch out for unexplained weight loss, a cough lasting more than three weeks, tiredness, coughing up blood and not shaking off chest infections after antibiotics. Often they go undetected as they are similar to other illnesses. Women can get on top of lung cancer by spotting the signs or asking their GP for a chest X-ray.

Bowel cancer

Looking out for signs may help, although there are often no symptoms in the early stages. Changes in bowel habits like regular diarrhoea or constipation, on-going lower abdomen pains, loss of appetite, anaemia and rectal bleeding may occur.

Anne from Sutton Coldfield, a 'Patient Voice' from the charity Beating Bowel Cancer (www.bowelcancer.org), has now been given the 'all clear'. 'I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in December 1997. I had experienced rectal bleeding for three to four months, and a persistent change in bowel habit for six weeks, so I went to see my GP quite quickly. I saw a consultant within three days, who immediately did a biopsy and found cancer.'

Anne found out there had been bowel cancer in the family, 'My experience shows that you really do need to listen to your body. Although I did have some symptoms, I was not in any pain, had lost no weight and was in no discomfort at all. It was very lucky for me that I went to see my GP as soon as I did.'

Skin cancer

Find out how to financially prepare yourself for a health crisis.

Find out more about women's cancers on iVillage.

Get advice and help with issues relating to cancer on the Cancer Support

Find out how to financially prepare yourself for a health crisis.