Most Common Types of Gynecologic Cancers

  • Endometrial/Uterine is the most common GYN cancer. The primary symptom of endometrial cancer is abnormal bleeding.
  • Ovarian cancer is the second most common GYN cancer. Since there are no effective screening tests, one must be aware of the earliest symptoms of ovarian cancer.
  • Cervical cancer has been steadily decreasing in incidence with the increased prevalence of pap smear screening. We encourage you to get an annual pap smear.

Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

    Recent studies have shown that most women with ovarian cancer have had some or all of the following symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks:

  • Bloating
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain
  • Urinary urgency or frequency
  • Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
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    The key is whether that is change from normal for your body.

    Other symptoms can include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation, and menstrual irregularity.

    Because the signs and symptoms of GYN cancers may also be associated with other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, it is important that your physician take seriously the possibility that ovarian cancer may be present, especially if you have a family or personal history of ovarian, breast, or colon cancer, and have never borne children.

    If you should have these symptoms, please see your gynecologist, who can follow-up with some diagnostic tests - CA125, transvaginal ultrasound, and pelvic exam. If these results indicate the possibility of ovarian cancer, ask - no, insist - to be referred to a gyn oncologist.

Our advice: Try to maintain your sense of humor!

CanSurvive GYN Cancer Support Group
2 meetings each month

Please note that sometimes the 3rd Sunday will occur before the 3rd Friday.
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3rd Friday of each month
12 noon - 1:30 p.m.; lunch provided
American Cancer Society*
1104 Ireland Way
Birmingham 35205
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3rd Sunday of each month

2 - 4 p.m.

Brookwood Wellness Center at Gold's Gym
1090 Montgomery Hwy, Vestavia 35216
Light refreshments provided by LCBOCF.
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*Please check website or call on a weekday (205-934-7509) to confirm Friday meeting location; occasionally it has to be relocated.

Upcoming CanSurvive Meetings/ CanSurvive Events

  • Sunday, April 15, 2 - 4 p.m., Brookwood Wellness Center at Gold's Gym in Vestavia. Dr. Kerri Bevis will drop by so we can meet each other. She will be joining the UAB GYN Oncology staff in July. We will also use this time to discuss what is on your minds.
  • Friday, April 20, noon - 1:30 p.m., American Cancer Society -- Lunch provided. Dr. Ronnie Alvarez from UAB GYN Oncology will join us; his topic will be “New Directions”.

Live in the Montgomery area?

If you live in the Montgomery area and would like to meet with other ladies with gyn cancer, please send an e-mail to cansurvivesupportgroup@gmail.com. We'll put you in touch with other ladies who would like to do that, too.

Thanks to Club Bellydance

Club Bellydance brought their world famous tour to Birmingham on March 11. The dancing was mesmerizing. They featured local dancers in the first half of the show, which was a treat for all as well.

Troupe dancer Petite Jamilia asked her manager to make this particular show a benefit for CanSurvive for 2 reasons. When taking her own mother for treatments, she realized that she wanted to help patients get support they needed. And, her mother had taught her and some of the other local dancers how to bellydance. Not only did the show donate a generous portion of proceeds to us, but Petite Jamilia also donated her personal take from the show to us.

Gift Bags for Patients

At our November 18, meeting we put together bags for patients receiving treatment at the end of November and in December. The bags have many handy items needed while undergoing treatment along with some surprises.

We'd like to thank the many people who procured items and/or donated funds for the bags: Doubletree Hotel; Stacy Sloan, Coca-Cola in Atlanta; Seeds of Happiness; Sacs of Life; Abbey Thompson; Employees of Robbins & Morton; Helen Gilliland; Flavorpic; Michael O'Neal; Hoffman Media; Dr. Perron Tucker; Michael Wright, Colgate; Dr. John Phillips, III & Dr. Mark A. Todd; Dr. Guy Rosenstiel; Dr. Richard N. Vest; Dr. Elizabeth S. Jacobson; Hospice of Pelham; American Family Care; Sandra Morris, Kodak; Norma Lovorn, Ricoh; Cathy Moore & Beth Blackburn; Debbie Lyda; Joyce Wilkinson; Matt & Jennifer Attaway; Myra Smith; Connie LaMonte; Allan & Kelly Rice; Birmingham Business Journal; Jennifer Smiley; Patti McCartney; Chick-Fil-A; Susan Greene; Asiah Hodgen; Brenda Lamb's Sunday School class at Shades Mountain Baptist; and, Canterbury United Methodist Church.

CanSurvive Featured in October 6th Over the Mountain Journal

CanSurvive members Jo Ann Baker, Maila Mathru, Cheryl Bourn, Joy Petersen, and Alice Laurendine were interviewed by the OTMJ editor Laura McAlister for their October 6, 2011 edition.

You can read the article here

2011 CanSurvive Awareness Events

In a continuing effort to educate our community about GYN cancers, CanSurvive members spoke one to one with hundreds of people and provided them with free literature. We even asked men to share the information with a woman in their lives.

Our venues included the Pink Heals Tour in Gardendale on August 29, the UAB North Pavilion on September 7, and the LCBOCF's Head Over Teal 5K and Family Fun Day in Hoover on September 17. The two local ovarian cancer foundations partnered with us to staff an awareness table at Southern Women's Show at the BJCC October 6-9.

Many of our members distributed information via small health fairs, small groups, or to individuals they encountered.

Margaret Keeton arranged to have 3 buildings at UAB lit in teal for the month of September.

More pictures can be found on the Photos page.

Congratulations Kelly and Lois!

Lois Caldwell and Kelly Rice, both survivors of ovarian cancer, received Life Inspiration Awards from the American Cancer Society on August 11, 2011. Congratulations!