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Article: When gynecologic cancer strikes younger women: Maureen Wagner's daughter probably saved her life. The 33-year-old was pregnant with her first child in 2002 when she abruptly went into labor five weeks early.(Ages & Stages)
- Article from:
- National Women's Health Report
- Article date:
- August 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 National Women's Health Resource Center. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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That early delivery led to the discovery of what doctors thought was an ovarian cyst. It turned out to be cancer, and when her daughter was five-months old, Ms. Wagner underwent a full hysterectomy and said goodbye to her dreams of carrying another child.
Although most gynecologic cancers strike women in mid-life and beyond, they can affect women at any age, even infants. For instance, 11 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are under 65, (16) while nearly half of all cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed before age 35. (17) Endometrial cancer in premenopausal women is rarer, with just 2.9 percent of endometrial cancers occurring in women under 40. (18) ...