Womb Cancer
What Is It?
Endometrial cancer makes up the vast majority of cancers of the womb (uterus). The endometrium is the inner lining of the womb and all endometrial cancers start here. Because endometrial cancers of the womb are by far the most common, the terms ‘womb cancer’, ‘uterine cancer’ and ‘endometrial cancer’ are often interchangeable.About 6,400 women were diagnosed with womb cancer in the UK in 2003. This makes it the 5th most common cancer found in women in this country. Womb cancer is commonest in women aged 60 to 69 and rare in women who have not yet reached the menopause.
Many of the womb cancer risk factors are related to the body’s exposure to the female sex hormone, oestrogen. Or, more specifically, to the balance between types of the two female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
Overweight women are generally twice as likely to develop womb cancer than women of a normal weight. Obese women are about 3 times more likely to get womb cancer. This is probably because fatter women have higher levels of oestrogen.
If you eat a high fat diet you may have a higher risk of developing womb cancer.
Having had a baby lowers your risk of womb cancer. Experts think that having one child lowers your risk by about 30%.
Some cancers are caused by cancer genes that you have been born with. If you have several close relatives on the same side of the family who have had bowel, breast, ovarian or womb cancers you may be at increased risk for womb cancer because of a faulty gene.
An increased risk of womb cancer is a known side effect of taking tamoxifen for breast cancer.
If you are using HRT to control the symptoms associated with menopause, you could have a slightly increased risk of womb cancer, especially if you have used it long term, without a break.
The majority of birth control pills used today normally decrease the risk of womb cancer.
Symptoms
Possible symptoms:The most common symptom of womb cancer is abnormal bleeding from the vagina – especially in women who have passed through the menopause and stopped having periods. About 9 out of 10 cases of womb cancer are picked up because of post menopausal or irregular vaginal bleeding.
Bleeding that is unusually heavy or happens between periods
Vaginal discharge – from pink and watery to dark and foul-smelling
Most cases are post menopausal bleeding, which is a key symptom of womb cancer.
Treatment
Common treatments used are:Surgery
Radiotherapy
Other treatment - chemotherapy and hormone therapy
Experimental treatment