Three Cancers Every Woman Should Know About

Sponsored Content | November 4th, 2022

Ask women about cancers they know that affect them and the first answer will surely be breast cancer, likely followed by ovarian cancer.[1]

Although these are important cancers, they are unfortunately not the only ones to impact women. Here are three, one being a sub-type of breast cancer, that deserve to be better known so women are aware of them and, in some cases, take steps to prevent them: triple negative breast cancer, cervical cancer and endometrial cancer.

Receiving a diagnosis for one of these cancers can be stressful and frightening. Knowing more about the disease can help empower patients (and their caregivers) take control of their health. This article provides a general overview of these cancers and resources on where to find more information.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)

Breast cancer, of course, is very well known. Less known, however, is triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is now considered a separate type of breast cancer with its own treatment options.[2] TNBC accounts for 10-20% of all breast cancers and is more likely to be diagnosed in women under age 40 and those of African or Asian ancestry.[3]

TNBC tumours are more likely to grow and spread quickly so are often diagnosed at a later stage when the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body (when it has metastasized). Unlike other types of breast cancer which commonly spread to the lymph nodes and bones, TNBC tumours are more likely to spread to the bloodstream, brain or lungs.[4]

Treatment usually involves chemotherapy to reduce the tumours, followed by surgery and sometimes radiation therapy. Immunotherapy is also often added in combination to chemotherapy for early-stage TNBC or more advanced illness.[5] Immunotherapy enhances the body’s own immune system so it can identify and kill cancer cells.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Network developed a list of questions to ask your healthcare provider if you’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer to help optimize your care and treatment. Here are select questions you can ask to help determine the best treatment plan for you:[6]

What are my treatment options? What treatment plan do you recommend for me and why?
What are the side effects of these treatments and how long will they last?
What level of caregiving will I need at this time?
Are there clinical trials I should consider? If so, how can I learn more?
What services or supports are available specifically for people with breast cancer?

Being diagnosed with any cancer, including breast, can be intimidating. Receiving a diagnosis of TNBC can be especially challenging as it tends to be a more aggressive type of cancer. However, the future is brighter for those impacted by TNBC given the emergence of more promising treatment options and a better understanding of the disease.

For more information on TNBC, visit the following websites:

Cervical cancer

The cervix is the canal at the lower end of a woman’s uterus connecting it to the vagina. Cancer can develop in the cervix, often without signs or symptoms in the early stages. Symptoms often only become evident once the tumour grows into surrounding tissues and organs.[7]

The most important risk factor for developing cervical cancer is infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), an infection that is commonly transmitted sexually. Vaccination against HPV is a very effective way to prevent cervical cancer.[8] Programs have been in place for several years across Canada to provide HPV vaccinations to girls, and now also boys (because HPV can also cause other cancers, such as head and neck cancer).

HPV vaccines have saved many lives. A study published in the British journal The Lancet in November 2021 showed that in England the incidence of cervical cancer has been reduced by 87% in women in their 20s who were offered the vaccine when they were aged 12-13 years as part of the UK HPV vaccination program. It concluded that the program “has successfully almost eliminated cervical cancer in women born since Sep 1, 1995.”^[9]

Cervical cancer can be detected in the early stages before symptoms develop by a Pap smear test which is recommended every one to three years for sexually active women over age 21.

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates there will be 1,450 new cases of cervical cancer in Canada in 2022 and that it will cause 380 deaths.[10]

Treating cervical cancer can involve all three traditional pillars of cancer therapy: surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Now, the new fourth pillar of cancer treatment, immunotherapy, can also be used to treat this cancer.

For more information on cervical cancer, visit the following website:

Canadian Cancer Society

Endometrial cancer

The endometrium is the lining of the uterus and endometrial cancer is the most common form of uterine cancer so the two names are often interchanged. Endometrial cancer may be comparatively less known or discussed than many other cancers, but it is the most common gynecologic malignant disease in Canada.[11]

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated 8,100 Canadian women will be diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2022 and an estimated 1,500 will die from it.[12] As well, the incidence rates for endometrial cancer have been going up steadily for the past 30 years. Women who develop uterine cancer are usually over the age of 50. It is more common in Caucasian women than in other populations and in women in North America and Europe rather than in other parts of the world.[13]

Besides advancing age, obesity is also a risk factor for endometrial cancer, but the use of combined hormonal contraceptives or progestin-only products may prevent the disease.[14]

The usual sign indicating endometrial cancer is abnormal or post-menopausal bleeding, with diagnosis usually confirmed after a biopsy. Treatments include surgery (usually a total hysterectomy) as well as radiation and/or chemotherapy. Immunotherapy treatment is another treatment option, particularly when the disease is advanced. The good news is that the five-year survival rate for endometrial cancer discovered at its early stages is greater than 80%.[15]

It’s important for Canadian women to be more aware of the risks and signs of endometrial cancer so that it can be found and treated at the earliest stage, when the outcomes are likely most positive.

For more information on cervical cancer, visit the following website:

Canadian Cancer Society

No content of this article is intended as medical advice. If you have questions about your health, consult a healthcare professional.

Developed by C.A.R.P./Zoomer with financial support from Merck Canada Inc.

[1] Of note, men can also develop breast cancer, but it mostly affects women.

[2] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Triple-negative and basal-like breast cancers, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/breast/what-is-breast-cancer/cancerous-tumours/triple-negative-breast-cancer

[3] Nokoane L, Triple-negative breast cancer, Clinicopathologic features, PathChat, Edition 33, Ampath Pathologists, https://www.ampath.co.za/pdfs/ampathchats/pathchat-33-triple-negative-breast-cancer.pdf

[4] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Triple-negative and basal-like breast cancers, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/breast/what-is-breast-cancer/cancerous-tumours/triple-negative-breast-cancer

[5] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Triple-negative and basal-like breast cancers, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/breast/what-is-breast-cancer/cancerous-tumours/triple-negative-breast-cancer

[6] These questions were taken and adapted from the list developed by the Canadian Breast Cancer Network: https://cbcn.ca/web/default/files/public/Living%20Legacy_10Questions_FactSheet_Final_ENG.pdf. Of note, while this list is focused on metastatic breast cancer, many of the questions are relevant for all stages of breast cancer.

[7] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Cervical Cancer, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/cervical

[8] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Cervical Cancer, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/cervical

[9] Falcaro M et al, The effects of the national HPV vaccination programme in England, UK, on cervical cancer and grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia incidence: a register-based observational study, The Lancet, 398:10316, 2084-2092, Dec. 4, 2021, published online Nov. 3, 2021. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02178-4/fulltext

[10] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Cervical Cancer Statistics, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/cervical/statistics

[11] Sobel M, Simpson AN and Ferguson SE, Endometrial cancer, CMAJ, Sept. 13,2021, 13;193:E1423. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.202731

[12] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Uterine cancer statistics, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/uterine/statistics

[13] Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Information, Risk factors for uterine cancer, https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/uterine/risks.

[14] Sobel M, Simpson AN and Ferguson SE, Endometrial cancer, CMAJ, Sept. 13,2021, 13;193:E1423. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.202731

[15] Sobel M, Simpson AN and Ferguson SE, Endometrial cancer, CMAJ, Sept. 13,2021, 13;193:E1423. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.202731