Every six and a half minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with gynecologic cancer.

More than 80,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed each year with cancers affecting their reproductive organs. Dr. Stewart Massad, associate professor and chief of gynecologic oncology, at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield says gynecologic cancer includes different types of cancers.

SOUND BITE: "Each cancer is thought to have a different cause. Uterine cancers are probably caused by excessive estrogen - the female hormone. We see it commonly here in Illinois in women who are overweight or who take hormone supplements. Cervical cancer is probably caused by a papilloma virus, which is a sexually transmitted infection that most women are exposed to, but only a small number fail to clear and they develop cervical cancer."

Massad says cervical cancer is easily detected by a pap smear test, provided that women have pap smears at regular intervals. It is preventable. Uterine cancer may be caused by irregular bleeding and being overweight can be a risk factor for uterine cancer. Ovarian cancer is more lethal because it has very few symptoms, but it may cause swelling of the abdomen and changes in the appetite. Its cause hasn't been determined. Massad says the survival rates vary for each type of cancer.

SOUND BITE: "Survival rates for cervical disease are excellent because most are diagnosed before they actually become cancerous and can be treated with minor procedures in the office. Uterine cancers are often curable with hysterectomies. More than 80 percent of women with uterine cancer are cured. Unfortunately, although ovarian cancer is highly curable, if it is detected early, there are no good screening tests for ovarian cancer and most women who develop ovarian cancer do much less well."

All women are encouraged to have gynecological examinations by their primary care physician or gynecologist at regular intervals to help protect themselves against gynecologic cancer.