What is Endometrial Cancer and What Causes It?
Every year, 8,000 American women die of endometrial cancer. Here is more information about this cancer of the reproductive system and the importance of early detection.
What Is Endometrial Cancer?
Endometrial cancer affects the endometrium, or the innermost lining of the uterus. If left untreated, this cancer can spread throughout the uterus, the pelvic area, and eventually the entire body. Endometrial cancer has few symptoms, but the most common is vaginal bleeding between periods in women who have not yet experienced menopause. Vaginal bleeding in post-menopausal women is also a symptom. Additionally, women may experience pain or cramping in their lower abdomens.
Who Gets Endometrial Cancer?
Though it is most common in post-menopausal women over the age of 60, endometrial cancer can develop in women as young as 40. Obese women and women with diabetes are more likely to develop this form of cancer.
What Causes Endometrial Cancer?
Unfortunately, endometrial cancer has few direct causes and therefore cannot be easily prevented. Doctors have linked this disease to fluctuating levels of estrogen, such as in women who had estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy, women who took the drug Tamoxifen, or women who have irregular ovulation patterns. Women who have never been pregnant or who started menstruating before the age of 12 also have an increased risk of this form of cancer.
How Is It Treated?
The first course of action after a diagnosis of endometrial cancer is a hysterectomy, usually coupled with removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. During the operation, doctors will sometimes remove lymph nodes to keep the cancer from metastasizing. If the cancer is more severe or more developed, patients will undergo radiation, and if necessary, chemotherapy.
If caught early, endometrial cancer is very treatable. Visit your gynecologist every year t check for uterine growths, and make sure you’re on the lookout for symptoms. Many women in Colorado who develop endometrial cancer don’t have the resources to get treatment or don’t qualify for government help, leading to preventable deaths. Please donate to The Colorado BWRC Fund so we can help these women get their lives back. For more information, call (800) 511-4998.
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