Endometrial Cancer: Fast Facts

Reviewed By:
Martin E. Liebling, M.D., FACP

 

• Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in American women and the most common female reproductive cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
  
  
• Endometrial cancer is often detected early and treated successfully.
  
  
• Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when the cells of the inner lining of the uterus grow out of control.
  
  
• Scientists are not certain why endometrial cancer cells develop. However, many experts believe that high levels of the female hormone estrogen play an important role in the development of this disease.
  
  
• Risk factors for endometrial cancer may include advanced age, total length of menstrual span (number of years between onset of menstruation and menopause), obesity, a history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer and having never become pregnant.
  
  
• Some cases of endometrial cancer may become advanced before recognizable signs and symptoms occur.
  
  
• Approximately 90 percent of women diagnosed with endometrial cancer experience postmenopausal or unusual vaginal spotting or bleeding, according to the ACS.
  
  
• In the later stages of endometrial cancer, symptoms may include pelvic pain, unexplained weight loss or a pelvic mass, a growth that can be either cancerous or noncancerous, such as a cyst of almost any size.
  
  
• While pelvic exams are successful in finding some cancers of the female reproductive system, they are not very effective in detecting early endometrial cancers.
  
  
• If cancer is suspected, a patient may be referred to a gynecologic oncologist. This is a doctor who specializes in treating cancers of the female reproductive system, including endometrial cancer.
  
  
• The most common procedure used to identify endometrial cancer is a biopsy of endometrial tissue. If an endometrial biopsy is inconclusive or does not provide a sufficient amount of tissue, a dilation and curettage must be performed.
  
  
• Women with lower grade cancers have a lower likelihood of advanced cancer or recurrences.
  
  
• A doctor may use a device to examine the bladder (cystoscopy) or rectum (proctoscopy) to see if the cancer has spread there.
  
  
• Complete abdominal hysterectomy is the primary surgical treatment for endometrial cancer.
  
  
• A lymph node sampling procedure is often performed during a complete abdominal hysterectomy.
  
  
• Chemotherapy may be used alone or in combination with radiation therapy.
  
  
• Most women with endometrial cancer also have their ovaries removed or rendered inactive by radiation. These procedures may slow the growth of endometrial cancer.
  
  
• The use of oral contraceptives, such as birth control pills, can reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in some women.

 

Find support at the iVillage message boards for Cervical and Gynecological Cancers.