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Prognosis of Uterine Cancer

Uterine cancer in women is also known as endometrial cancer. According to mayoclinic.com, most uterine cancer cases are in women who no longer have periods and menopause has been diagnosed. While cancer is never good news, uterine cancer is highly treatable when found in the early stages.

  1. Symptoms

    • The first symptom present in a woman with uterine cancer is abnormal bleeding after menopause has set in. Women not in menopause will have longer periods of bleeding or bleeding that occurs between periods. A bloody vaginal discharge is also present along with pain in the pelvic region and pain during sexual intercourse. Some women will also experience non-intentional weight loss.

    Cause

    • Uterine cancer is caused when normal cells mutate or become abnormal, divide, and grow at an increasing rate. These cells continue to divide and multiply even when the new cells are not needed by the uterus. It is thought that an increase in estrogen levels plays a role in uterine cancer developing. Menopausal women taking an estrogen supplement without other hormones are at a higher risk of developing uterine cancer. Obesity is a risk factor for uterine cancer that increases when a woman is more than 50 lbs. overweight.

    Diagnosis

    • The standard Pap test for women does not test for uterine cancer, only cervical cancer. A woman that presents the signs and symptoms of uterine cancer should see a physician for diagnosis. An endometrial biopsy is the most common test performed to diagnose the cancer. This test involves taking a sample of the uterine lining for diagnosis. Most physicians can conduct the biopsy easily during an office visit. Once uterine cancer is diagnosed, the patient is referred to a gynecologic oncologist for treatment.

    Treatment

    • The most common treatment for uterine cancer is a hysterectomy--a surgical procedure that removes the uterus and surrounding lymph nodes. Some women will also have the fallopian tubes and ovaries removed. In cases where the cancer has spread, additional treatment with radiation therapy, hormone therapy or chemotherapy is prescribed.

    Prognosis

    • A woman that is diagnosed with uterine cancer will most likely lose the ability to bear children in the future due to the treatment options available. While most cases of the disease are in menopausal women, the disease does inflict women in their 30s. According to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, localized uterine cancer cases have a greater than 90-percent cure rate. Uterine cancer that has spread to the pelvis or is aggressive in nature has a dramatically lower success rate, with only 20 percent of women surviving more than five years.

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