Uterus Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Stages & Treatment

Do you know unusual vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal pain can be signs of uterine cancer?

Changes in the uterus cell can create this type of cancer. Hence, individuals need to be aware of uterus cancer symptoms and their causes.

Want to know more about this condition? Read along!

What Is Uterus Cancer?

Uterine cancer is the most common type of cancer that occurs in women’s reproductive organs. It refers to the medical condition where cells comprising uterine tissue grow abnormally. This abnormal cell growth may form a mass. Tumours occurring in the uterus can be cancerous or benign.

A cancerous or malignant tumour can move to other body parts. On the other hand, a benign tumour grows but usually does not invade other body parts.

The uterus (also known as the womb) is a hollow organ that supports foetal development until birth. This organ looks like an upside-down pear whose bottom is cervix, middle is corpus and top is fundus. The inner layer of the uterus is called endometrium, and the outer layer is called myometrium.

Types of Uterus Cancer

There are two types of uterine cancer. These are as follows -

Endometrial Cancer: Endometrial cancer is the most common type of uterine cancer, which makes up 80% of this disease. This type of cancer develops from the cells in the endometrium. Endometrial cancers affect a woman's reproductive organ.
Uterine Sarcoma: This type of cancer originates in the myometrium, the muscle wall of the uterus. It can also develop in the supporting walls of uterine glands. Uterine Sarcoma is very rare and accounts for 2%-4% of uterine cancer.

What Are the Early Signs and Symptoms of Uterus Cancer?

The Uterus cancer symptoms depend on the type, i.e., Endometrial Cancer or Uterine Sarcoma. These are discussed separately.

Warning Signs of Endometrial Cancer

Abnormal bleeding is the most common sign of Endometrial cancer. Other common signs include -

Pain during urination
Abnormal weight loss
Pain during intercourse
Unusual vaginal discharge without blood
Pain in the Pelvic area

Warning Signs of Uterine Sarcoma

Uterine Sarcoma is a rare type of Uterus cancer. Women with Uterine Sarcoma can notice unusual bleeding or spotting. However, there are other symptoms which include,

Lump or growth in the vagina
Frequent urination
Pain in abdomen
Feeling of fullness

Individuals can experience these types of symptoms in other diseases as well. Hence, they must visit a doctor to diagnose the cause.

Causes of Uterus Cancer

The exact reasons for uterine cancer are yet to be discovered. However, the mutated cells grow and continue dividing, which form a mass called a tumour due to some changes in uterus cells.

However, there are some risk factors that can trigger uterine cancer. These include -

Women with hyperplasia (endometrial growth)
Obese women
Women whose menses started before the age of 12
Estrogen therapy
Radiation to the pelvis
Menopause after the age of 55

As Uterus cancer is of two types, the stages of these two different types of uterine cancer are also different as per the conditions (growth and invasion of cancer).

Stages of Endometrial Cancer

As per the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Endometrial cancer can be of four stages. These are –

Stage	Description
I	Cancer has not moved out of the uterus.
II	Cancer has reached the cervix.
III	Cancer has invaded the vagina, ovaries and/or lymph nodes.
IV	The disease has moved to the rectum, urinary bladder, and other distant organs such as bones or lungs

In 70% of cases, doctors diagnose the early stage of Uterus cancer when confined in the uterus. In 20% of cases, doctors diagnose cancer when it has spread to nearby organs and lymph nodes. In 10% of the time, doctors diagnose Uterine cancer when it has metastasised into distant organs.

Stages of Uterine Sarcoma

The stages of Uterine Sarcoma are as follows -

Stage	Description
I	It refers to the condition where the cancer is confined in the uterus.
II	Here, cancer has moved outside of the uterus but not has spread outside of the pelvis.
III	The cancer is developing in the abdomen tissues but does not have invaded the distant organs.
IV	Cancer invades the urinary bladder, rectum, distant organs such as lungs, and bones, in this stage.

Now that the uterus cancer symptoms, types, causes, stages are clear to you, let’s focus on the treatment and prevention of this type of cancer.

What Are the Treatments for Uterus Cancer?

The treatment options available for Uterus cancer include,

Surgery: Medical professionals perform surgery to remove the uterus (via hysterectomy). They also remove the fallopian tubes and ovaries (via salpingo-oophorectomy).
Hormone therapy: Here, doctors use medications to decrease the hormone levels that accelerate cancer cells growth.
Chemotherapy: Doctors use two or more chemicals to kill cancer cells.
Radiation therapy: Professionals use external or internal radiation to kill cancer cells.
Targeted drug therapy: Doctors use medicines to identify the specific weakness of cancer cells to kill them.
Immunotherapy: In this treatment procedure, doctors stress enhancing the immunity system to fight cancer cells.
Supportive care: Here, doctors provide specialised medical care to reduce pain and fight against other symptoms while recovering from a cancerous condition.

These treatment options depend on the uterine cancer type, stages and overall health condition.

How to Prevent Uterus Cancer?

Since the causes of uterine cancer are unknown, the prevention methods are unclear. However, individuals can reduce the chances of uterine cancer by following certain methods.

These are discussed below -

Taking Contraceptive Pills or Using a Progestin-secreting Intrauterine Device (IUD)- Taking birth control pills or using IUD can control oestrogen and progestin. This will help maintain hormonal balance and reduce the risk of overgrowth of the uterus lining by up to 30% (when taken for a longer period).
Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels- For a diabetic patient, regular monitoring of blood glucose can reduce the risk of developing uterine cancer.
Shedding Extra Weight- Excess fatty tissue can produce a high amount of oestrogen in women. Nonetheless, overweight women or individuals have higher chances of developing cancer in general.

The above-mentioned piece discusses uterus cancer symptoms, causes, stages, treatment and prevention methods. As the actual causes of this type of cancer are not yet known to doctors, you must be attentive to warning signs of both types of uterine cancer and consult doctors if experienced any of those.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can uterine cancer develop in women who have never had children?

Yes, uterine cancer can develop in women who never had children.

How is uterine cancer diagnosed?

Uterine cancer is diagnosed by a lab test, imaging tests (MRI scans, CT scans, Transvaginal ultrasound) and other tests, including Endometrial biopsy, Dilation & Curettage (D&C), Hysteroscopy.

Can Tamoxifen cause uterus cancer?

Yes, Tamoxifen can cause uterus cancer.

What are the side effects of uterine cancer surgery?

The side-effects of uterine cancer surgery include infertility meaning individuals will not be able to get pregnant. They will experience menopause (if patients were premenopausal) and related symptoms, such as night sweats, vaginal dryness.

Can uterus cancer be cured?

Yes, uterus cancer is curable if diagnosed in Stage I. However, uterus cancer diagnosed in Stage II and Stage III has around 77% chances of living at least 5 more years and 40% chances of living at least 5 more years, respectively.

Is endometrial cancer and uterine cancer the same?

No, endometrial cancer and uterine cancer are not the same. Endometrial cancer is a type of uterine cancer which occurs in the inner lining of the uterus. Since it is the most common type of uterine cancer, people get confused with the terms.