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Maintain Your Gynecologic Health with Education and Early Detection
Uterine CancerWhat is uterine cancer?Most uterine cancers begin in the lining of the uterus (endometrium). The endo-metrium is the tissue shed each month with the menstrual cycle. After the menopause you stop shedding and the endometrium flattens out. With uterine cancer, it is typically the cells in the lining that grow out of control and invade the muscle of the uterus (the myometrium). From there, the cancer can spread to lymph nodes or surrounding organs. Other uterine cancers include uterine sarcomas that develop in the walls of the uterus, but these cancers are less common.What are the common symptoms?
Bleeding after menopause, or irregular vaginal bleeding
before menopause, may be a warning sign of uterine cancer. Uterine
cancer is frequently diagnosed at an early stage because the bleeding
is a trigger that prompts women to see a physician. Enlarging
fibroids after menopause indicate a warning sign for uterinesarcoma.
How is it treated?
A diagnosis of uterine cancer is typically made by dilation
and curettage (D&C), and is frequently treated by hysterectomy
and surgical staging. This involves sampling lymph nodes and
performing biopsies to find the extent of the cancer. Many patients
can be cured by surgery alone. For some cases, including sarcomas,
radiation treatments or chemotherapy may be added to the surgical
treatments.
What are the risk factors?For endometrial cancers, the risk factors include obesity, hypertension, diabetes, inappropriate estrogen use, tamoxifen use, and late menopause. Women who have not been pregnant have a slightly higher risk.
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