uterine cancer
uterine cancer, a disease characterized by the abnormal growth of cells in the uterus. Cancers affecting the lining of the uterus (endometrium) are the most common cancers of the female reproductive tract. Other uterine cancers, called uterine sarcomas, develop from underlying muscle or connective tissue; they are much rarer. This article focuses on the development, diagnosis, and treatment of endometrial cancer.
Risk factors and symptoms
Although the causes of endometrial cancer vary and in many cases remain unknown, several factors have been identified that increase the risk of developing the disease. Many of these risk factors stem from an imbalance in which levels of the hormone estrogen in the uterus are regularly higher than levels of progesterone. Women who began their menstrual cycles at an early age (before 12 years) or who entered menopause late (after age 52) are at a higher risk for endometrial cancer, probably because of the increased exposure of the uterine wall to estrogen. Other factors associated with increased exposure to estrogen include lack of a previous pregnancy, obesity, and estrogen replacement therapy following menopause. In the early 21st century in the United States, the incidence of uterine cancer increased, in part because of increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women.
Women who have taken the breast cancer drug tamoxifen also appear to be at slightly higher risk of developing endometrial cancer, as are females with diabetes. Additional risk factors include race—whites are more likely to develop uterine cancer than are blacks—a personal history of ovarian cancer, age (over 40 years), and a family history of endometrial cancer.
The predominant early sign of endometrial cancer is vaginal bleeding or other discharge, especially in postmenopausal women. Any such discharge should be brought to the attention of a physician immediately. Additional possible symptoms are unexplained pelvic pain, a discernible lump or mass, and weight loss.
Diagnosis and prognosis
A biopsy may be used to take samples of uterine tissue, or dilatation and curettage (D & C) may be used to scrape endometrial cells from the wall of the uterus for examination. Cancers of the uterus and surrounding tissues can also be detected by observing the reproductive, digestive, and urinary tracts with specialized viewing scopes. Internal imaging procedures often allow a more precise location and determination of the potential spread of uterine cancer. Methods include X rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. An X-ray procedure called an intravenous pyelogram uses an injected iodine solution to enhance a series of images taken of the urinary tract in cases where spread of cancer to these tissues is suspected.
Once uterine cancer has been diagnosed, its stage is then determined to indicate how far the cancer has progressed. Stage I cancers are localized to the main body of the uterus, whereas stage II tumours have spread to the cervix. Stage III cancers have spread outside the uterus to the vagina, regional lymph nodes, or peritoneum but are still contained within the pelvis. Stage IV cancers have spread to distant organs such as the lungs, bone, bladder, or digestive tract.
Five-year survival for endometrial cancer is quite high—more than 90 percent—when the cancer is diagnosed early. Among patients whose cancer has spread to the cervix, five-year survival typically is between 65 and 80 percent. If the cancer has spread beyond the endometrium but remains confined to the pelvis, five-year survival is roughly 50 percent. However, once the cancer has metastasized to other organs, the five-year survival rate is very low.
Treatment
Surgery is used to treat most endometrial cancers. A simple hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix, whereas a radical hysterectomy also removes underlying connective tissue (the parametrium) and ligaments along with the upper portion of the vagina. Either of these surgeries may be done in conjunction with the removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Surgical removal of the uterus or ovaries results in infertility, and removal of the ovaries will also cause women to go immediately into menopause. Lymph nodes may also be removed during surgery. Radiation therapy is sometimes used in conjunction with surgery. External beam radiation resembles traditional X rays in that the radiation is directed from outside the body toward an internal target tissue. In brachytherapy radioactive rods or pellets are implanted to focus the radiation on the cancer and greatly reduce side effects. Side effects of pelvic radiation therapy may include diarrhea, fatigue, premature menopause, bladder irritation, or narrowing of the vagina due to scar tissue buildup.
In cases where endometrial cancer has spread beyond the uterus, general or systemic approaches such as chemotherapy may be required so that as many cancerous cells as possible can be sought out and destroyed. Some uterine cancers can be treated in part by using hormonal therapy. If the cancer cells are found to contain a protein called the progesterone receptor, the hormone progesterone may be used to slow the growth of the tumour.
Prevention
Long-term use of combined oral contraceptives (birth control pills containing both an estrogen and a progestin) reduces the risk of endometrial cancer. Regular exams may reveal benign growths in the uterine wall called hyperplasias, which can be removed to eliminate the possibility of their developing into malignant tumours. Some medical societies recommend an annual Pap test plus pelvic exam for all women once they have reached 18 years of age or become sexually active, whichever is earlier.