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Abnormal vaginal bleeding that occurs after sex, after menopause, or between
menstrual periods
Pelvic pain
Abdominal bloating
Constipation
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite or feeling full quickly after eating a small amount of food
Nausea
Pelvic pain
Unusual vaginal discharge that is watery and pink, blood-tinged, or brown in color
and foul-smelling
Constipation
Frequent urination
Lump in a testicle
Narrow stool
Narrow stool
Bone pain
Fatigue
Incontinence
Causes
What causes pelvic cancer?
Normally cells in your body that are old or damaged will stop dividing and die before they
can become cancerous. Healthy young cells usually replace these cells. Pelvic cancer occurs
when old or damaged cells to continue to divide and multiply uncontrollably. What causes
this to happen is not known for most cancers.
Some cancers have more definite causes. For example, certain types of cancers, such as
ovarian cancer, have been linked to mutations of specific genes. Cervical cancer is an
example of a cancer that is most often caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
HPV, which can also cause genital warts, is spread through sexual contact and often has no
symptoms. HPV has also been linked to vaginal, vulvar and anal cancer.
What are the risk factors for pelvic cancer?
A number of factors may increase your chances of developing pelvic cancer. Not all people
with risk factors will develop pelvic cancer, and some people who do not have risk factors
will develop pelvic cancer. Risk factors include:
Multiple sex partners or sex with a partner who has had multiple sex partners or has
been exposed to HPV
Presence of breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) or breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), which
also increases the risk of developing breast cancer
Smoking
Unprotected sex
Getting vaccinated with Gardasil or Cervarix, which provides protection from the
strains of HPV that can cause many pelvic cancers
Quitting smoking
Treatments
How is pelvic cancer treated?
Treatment of pelvic cancer begins with seeking regular, routine medical care throughout your
life. Regular medical care allows your healthcare provider to best evaluate your risks of
developing pelvic cancer and perform routine screening measures, diagnostic testing, and
other assessments as needed. These measures greatly increase the chances of detecting pelvic
cancer in its earliest, most curable stage.
The goal of pelvic cancer treatment is to permanently cure the cancer or to bring about a
complete remission of the disease. Remission means that there is no longer any sign of the
disease in your body, although it may recur or relapse later. Pelvic cancer treatment plans use
a multifaceted approach. They are individualized based on the type and stage of the disease,
your age, your medical history, and any coexisting diseases or conditions.
Treatment of pelvic cancer may include a combination of the following:
Chemotherapy
Dietary counseling to help people with cancer maintain their strength and nutritional
status
Hormone therapy
Pain medications
Physical therapy to help strengthen the body, increase alertness, reduce fatigue, and
improve functional ability during and after cancer treatment
Radiation therapy
Surgery to remove any well-defined tumors or only part of the affected organ or
structure
Surgery to remove the entire organ or structure, nearby lymph nodes, and abdominal
tissues as needed
Complementary treatments
Complementary treatments may help some people to better deal with pelvic cancer and its
treatments. These treatments, sometimes referred to as alternative therapies, are used in
conjunction with traditional medical treatments. They are not meant to substitute for full
medical care. Complementary treatments may include:
Acupuncture
Massage therapy
Yoga
Hospice care
If pelvic cancer has progressed to an advanced stage and has become unresponsive to
treatment, the goal of treatment shifts from curing the disease to helping the person with
cancer live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice care involves medically controlling
pain and other symptoms, while providing psychological and spiritual support for the patient
and family.
What are the potential complications of pelvic cancer?
Complications of pelvic cancer are life threatening. Complications are caused by the
metastasis or spread of the cancer to other tissues and organs, such as the lymph nodes, lungs,
liver, and intestines. With time, the spread of cancer interferes with organ function and vital
body processes. You can best treat pelvic cancer and lower your risk or delay the
development of complications by following the treatment plan you and your healthcare team
design specifically for you.
References:
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2. Anal
Cancer
Treatment.
National
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3. Bladder Cancer. PubMed Health, a service of the NLM from the NIH.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001517/.
4. Bone Cancer: Questions and Answers. National Cancer Institute.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/bone.
5. Cervical
Cancer.
American
Cancer
Society.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervicalcancer/detailedguide/cervicalcancer-what-is-cervical-cancer.
6. Cervical
Cancer.
National
Cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/cervical.
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Pelvic Cavity. University of Buffalo School of Medicine and
Biomedical
Sciences.
http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/ana/newpage45.htm.
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Pelvis MRI Scan. MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National
Library
of
Medicine.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007355.htm.
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Prostate Cancer. PubMed Health, a service of the NLM from the
NIH. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001418/.
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Testicular Cancer. PubMed Health, a service of the NLM from
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Uterine Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/uterine/.
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Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and
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