National Women's Health Week (May 10-16, 2009) is an important reminder that we need more and better research into diseases affecting women. Here are a few highlights of particular interest to women. You may also want to visit our Women's Cancers Home Page.

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Understanding Breast Cancer Risk

Women age 40 and older should have mammograms every one to two years to detect breast changes that sometimes indicate breast cancer. See Screening Mammograms: Questions and Answers. Also see the NCI booklet Understanding Breast Changes. The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool is an interactive tool developed by NCI-supported scientists to estimate a woman's risk of invasive breast cancer. Though breast cancer is most common in whites, African Americans have higher breast cancer mortality rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. For more information on this and other related matters, see A Snapshot of Breast Cancer. The NCI-supported Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS) team has identified genetic variance that may increase the risk of breast cancer. For more information, visit the NCI Breast Cancer Home Page.

The Facts About Women and Smoking

Women who smoke are at increased risk for many cancers. Learn the facts about women and smoking. See Women and Smoking: Questions and Answers. SmokeFree.gov offers assistance by Web or phone that can support you as you become a nonsmoker. And on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009, the site will launch a new section with information aimed specifically at women. If you’d like to talk to someone in English or Spanish about quitting smoking, call NCI's Smoking Quitline, 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848). For more information, visit the NCI Smoking Home Page.

HPV and Cervical Cancer

HPV is the most important cause of and risk factor for cervical cancer. Find out what you need to know at Human Papillomaviruses and Cancer: Questions and Answers. The NCI Cancer Bulletin recently reported findings that cervical cancer screenings with an HPV DNA test can reduce cancer deaths. For more information, visit the NCI Cervical Cancer Home Page.

Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer in women, but ranks first in cancer deaths. Cutting-edge ovarian cancer research is taking place through NCI’s Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) program to help move basic research findings from the laboratory to patient care. An NCI-supported study has shown that CA-125 remains the most accurate marker for detecting early signs of ovarian cancer in the blood. The study was a joint project of NCI's Early Detection Research Network and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial. Through its PDQ® online database, NCI provides expert-reviewed, regularly updated information about cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics, complementary and alternative medicine, and supportive care. See the PDQ ovarian cancer summary. For more information, visit the NCI Ovarian Cancer Home Page.

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