The five main types of gynecologic cancer are: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar.

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer in the United States. Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.

It mainly spreads in 2 ways: It may grow larger and grow into nearby areas, like the vagina, bladder, rectum, or other tissues near the uterus and vagina. It may spread to the lymph nodes in the pelvis.

But gynecologic cancers are often treatable. “Some of these present as pre-cancers that are easily treated when detected early,” she says. “Even many early-stage cancers, such as stage I endometrial cancer, are cured just with surgery alone, the vast majority of the time.”

The most successful treatment for early cancer is total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, in which the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are removed

The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers, cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately. The HPV test looks for the virus (human papillomavirus) that can cause these cell changes.