Gynecologic cancer is a group of cancers that affect the tissue and organs of the female reproductive system. There are five main types of gynecologic cancers-each named after the organ it originated in-which include:

1. Ovarian cancer: a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries, which are the female reproductive glands located on each side of the uterus
2. Cervical cancer: cancer that begins in the cervix, the lower, narrow end of the uterus (the organ where a fetus grows) that leads to the vagina (birth canal)
3. Endometrial (Uterine) cancer: a type of cancer that begins in the uterus, which is the hollow, pear-shaped pelvic organ in women where fetal development occurs
4. Vulvar cancer:is a type of cancer that occurs on the vulva, the external part of the female genitals, including the clitoris, the vaginal lips, the opening to the vagina, and the surrounding skin and tissue
5. Vaginal cancer: cancer that begins in the vagina, which is the channel between the bottom of the uterus and the outside of the body

Risk factors that women may have control over and are known to increase a woman's chance of developing a gynecologic cancer include:

Getting infected with Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Tobacco use

Long-term use of oral contraceptives (birth control pills)

Being overweight or obese

Eating a diet lacking in proper nutrition

Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen given during pregnancy, prior to the

year 1970, to prevent miscarriage

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) infection

Some important things you may consider doing to reduce your risk or prevent gynecologic cancer may include:

Getting the HPV vaccine

Quitting smoking

Eating healthier and exercising regularly

Limiting the number of sexual partners you have Using latex condoms during sex