Cancer Answers for Women

What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself

In 1994, Tucean Webb's daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Webb, a Dallas homemaker and civic volunteer, says the news was such a shock. Her daughter was just 31, and the family had no history of the disease.

Four years later- after her daughter's recovery- Webb faced her own diagnosis of breast cancer. My daughter, Tucean, dealt with her cancer with such courage and optimism, says Webb, now 66. She was truly an inspiration. We were grateful for genetic testing to help determine the risk for our other daughter, Suzanne.

Today, women get on with their lives following a cancer diagnosis. Advances in screenings and therapies are the reason why. Breast and cervical cancers can be completely curable if caught early, says Zhiyong Li, M.D., a medical oncologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Garland. That's how important early detection is.

Annual gynecological visits are critical. We're not just doing a Pap test, we're examining the woman's whole lifestyle in general, says Courtney Walters, M.D., an obstetrician/gynecologist on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine. If you manage your problems such as obesity, diabetes or irregular periods, you can help prevent cancer.

Webb discovered her breast cancer following a routine mammogram. That's not a coincidence, says Margaret Sunderland, M.D., a medical oncologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Irving. There's no better way to prevent or detect breast cancer than to follow screening guidelines and be aware of changes in your own breasts, she says.

If cancer is diagnosed, treatment can include a combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or biological and hormonal therapies. In the case of cervical cancer, biopsy of a precancerous lesion can be enough.

Prevent it. Detect it.

Breast Cancer: 217,000 women diagnosed this year
Prevent it: Exercise and a healthy diet can help lower your risk.
Detect it: Practice monthly self-exams, have annual clinical breast exams and annual mammograms after age 40.