Uterine Cancer

Uterine (YOO-te-rin) cancer occurs in the tissue of the uterus, part of the reproductive tract of women.

What is the Uterus?

The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped organ in which a fetus develops when a woman is pregnant.

What is Uterine Cancer?

Uterine cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among women. It occurs when cells in a woman's uterus undergo abnormal changes and start dividing without control or order, forming tumors.

Uterine cancer usually begins in the cells of the endometrium (en-do-MEE-tree-um), the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside of the main part of the uterus. That is why it is sometimes called endometrial (en-do-MEE-tree-al) cancer.

Uterine cancer is more common in women who have gone through menopause (usually 50 years old or older), but it can occur earlier. It usually develops gradually, with some of the cells first undergoing precancerous changes. These cells are not yet cancerous, but they have undergone some abnormal changes that indicate that they could turn into cancer.

What Causes Uterine Cancer?

Although the cause of uterine cancer is not fully understood, cancer of the uterus occurs more frequently in those women who have an imbalance of reproductive hormones, particularly estrogen (ES-tro-jen). Researchers as of 2009 were exploring the connection between estrogen and uterine cancer. There are several known risk factors associated with uterine cancer. These include:

* A high fat diet

* Obesity

* Hypertension (elevated blood pressure)

* Diabetes (increased sugar in the blood)

* Early onset of menstruation/late onset of menopause

* Never having been pregnant

* Certain hormone therapies

How Is Uterine Cancer Diagnosed and Treated?

Uterine cancer is usually curable if it is found early, but unfortunately, there are no reliable routine tests for this disease (although a Pap smear sometimes can detect carly forms). Typically, it is found only after a woman experiences symptoms, such as unusual bleeding or other discharge from the vagina, pain or pressure, or weight loss.

If it is not caught carly, uterine cancer can grow through the wall of the uterus and metastasize (spread) to nearby organs. The cancer cells also can enter nearby lymph nodes and be carried to other parts of the body. Uterine cancer affects about 40,000 women each year.

If doctors suspect uterine cancer based on a woman's symptoms and a physical examination, a biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. 

The most common treatments are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Surgery involves hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus and nearby reproductive organs such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries) and the removal of the lymph nodes near the tumor.

After the treatment is finished, most women can lead normal lives. If their uterus was removed, however, they can no longer bear children. This often is not an issue for women in their 50s and 60s, but younger women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s may find it hard to adjust to this loss.

How Can Uterine Cancer Be Prevented?

Because the causes of uterine cancer are not fully understood, prevention is not understood cither. Smoking should be avoided, and it is essential that women see their doctors yearly for an examination and a Pap smear. Women who have irregular menstrual periods, which may indicate that they have a hormonal imbalance, should be evaluated by a doctor. Hormonal treatment may reduce the risk of uterine cancer. Maintaining a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in animal fat and proper body weight seem to play some role in Iowering the risk of developing this cancer.

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