Asian American and Pacific Islander
Women's Health

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Chronic Diseases

Cancer

What is it?
Why is it important?
Resources

What Is It?

There are many types of cancer that affect women. Breast cancer, cervical cancer and lung cancer are all cancers that affect women at a higher rate than men.

Check-ups can be done in order to detect cancer in the early stages for both breast and cervical cancer. Mammograms and pap- smears should be done on a yearly basis for women over the age of 40. In order to prevent lung cancer, one should not smoke cigarettes or use tobacco. Cancer can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation.

Breast Cancer

•  Is the second most common cancer in women

•  Can be detected through breast self exams or mammograms. It is recommended that women over the age of 40 receive yearly mammograms and all women should be doing breast self-exams on a regular basis. If a lump is detected in the breast, it is best to notify a doctor immediately who will then create a medical plan of action.

•  Mammogram- This is a breast x-ray and done when the female is standing up and is a painless procedure.


Cervical Cancer

•  Occurs when the cervical cells turn cancerous and start to reproduce. This change can occur gradually over a period of years, or this can happen quickly. It is important to get pap-test on a yearly basis. A person who has genital warts is at a higher risk for getting cervical cancer.


•  A pap test is when the gynecologist takes a swab of the cells from the cervix using a speculum and a swab to get the cells. This is a painless procedure, and should only take a few minutes.

 

 

Why is knowledge about cancer important?

• Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among Vietnamese women in the U.S. http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancerinfo/cervical-screening-vietnamese
  
  
• Cancer is treatable if caught early on, so it is important that women are proactive in their health care.

 

 

Resources

• National Cancer Institute- http://www.nci.nih.gov/statistics/
  
  
• Centers for Disease Control- http://www.cdc.gov
  
  
• Information about Pap- tests- http://www.4woman.gov/faq/ccervix.htm
  
  
• National Breast Cancer Coalition
  http://www.natlbcc.org/
  
  
• National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
  http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/index.htm
  
  
• National "Get A Mammogram: Do It For Yourself, Do It For Your Family" Campaign
  (brochures in English, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese) 
  http://breasthealth.cancer.gov
  
  
• American Cancer Society
  http://www.cancer.org
  
  
• Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
  http://www.komen.org
  
  
• Cancer Information Service, NCI, NIH, HHS
  http://cis.nci.nih.gov/
  
  
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Resource Center
  http://www.acog.org/
  
  
• National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)
  http://www.nccc-online.org/
  
  
• National Cancer Institute
  Cancer Information Service
  http://cis.nci.nih.gov
  
  
• Gynecologic Cancer Foundation
  http://www.wcn.org/gcf