Uterine cancer begins in the uterus (womb), the pear-shaped organ that carries a developing baby during pregnancy.
The most common type of uterine cancer is endometrial cancer. It grows in the lining of the uterus, known as the endometrium. Other types of uterine cancer begin in the supporting connective tissue and muscle cells of the uterus.
In the United States, uterine cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. It’s also the most common cancer of women's gynecologic cancers.
Every year about 52,000 U.S. women are diagnosed with uterine cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute — and about 8,500 of these women die of the disease annually.
Like most cancers, the earlier uterine cancer is detected, the better the prognosis. There are more than 600,000 women who are survivors of endometrial cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Risk Factors of Uterine Cancer
While experts still don't know the exact cause of uterine cancer, they do know that certain women are at higher risk.
Risk factors include:
- Being over age 50
- Being obese
- Taking estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy after menopause
- Having a history of irregular menstrual periods
- Difficulty getting pregnant
- Taking tamoxifen (Soltamox), which helps treat some breast cancers
- A family history of cancer of the uterus, colon, or ovaries
- Starting your periods early, before age 12, and being menopausal later than average (about age 50)
- Never being pregnant
- Having an abnormal overgrowth of cells in the lining of the uterus (known as endometrial hyperplasia)
- Having radiation therapy to your pelvic area
Even if you have some of these risk factors, it doesn’t mean you’ll get uterine cancer.
However, having these risk factors does mean that you should discuss with your doctor if you need more frequent check-ups, should lose excess weight, or take other measures to reduce your chance of developing uterine cancer.
Types of Uterine Cancers
There are several different types of uterine cancer, and each type progresses differently. Ask about having a specialist review the pathology of your specific cancer, once diagnosed.
Carcinomas: Endometrial cancers, which start in the cells that line the uterus, belong to a group of cancers called carcinomas. The majority of endometrial carcinomas are cancers of the cells that form glands in the endometrium. These are called adenocarcinomas.
The most common types of endometrial cancers are endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Less common are squamous cell, undifferentiated, clear cell, serous carcinoma, and poorly differentiated carcinoma.
Based on features of your cancer, you will learn the grade of an endometrioid cancer. The grade typically ranges from 1 to 3, with grade 3 being the most aggressive type.
Sarcomas: When cancer starts in the connective tissue and muscular cells of the uterus, the cancers are uterine sarcomas. They are much less common than the endometrial cancers and include stromal sarcoma and leiomyosarcomas.
Abnormal vaginal bleeding, such as bleeding after menopause or between periods, is one of the most common early symptoms of uterine cancer. Other symptoms that could indicate uterine cancer (as well as other problems) include:
- Abnormal vaginal discharge, such as a watery substance
- Pain in your pelvic region
- Pain during intercourse
Treatment of Uterine Cancer
The earlier you get treatment, the better. If you get a diagnosis of uterine cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend asking your doctor for a referral to a gynecologic oncologist, who has been trained to treat uterine and other gynecologic cancers.
Treatment depends on the exact type of uterine cancer and how extensive it is, and whether it is localized or has spread (metastasized).
Among the options:
- Surgery: Your surgeon will remove the tissue that is cancerous (removal of the uterus, or hysterectomy).
- Radiation: High-beam radiation, similar to X-rays, is used to kill the cancer.
- Hormone therapy: This treatment affects hormone levels in the body to stop the cancer cells from growing.
- Chemotherapy: This drug therapy can be taken orally or injected. The drug targets the cancer to shrink or kill the cancer cells.
Besides a gynecologic oncologist, your treatment team may include surgeons, medical oncologists (who prescribe medication) and radiation oncologists.
If the available treatments do not work for you, your doctor may recommend joining a clinical trial, which tests new treatment options.
Last Updated: 12/10/2014