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Uterine Cancer - Uterine Cancer symptom, treatment, causes

Uterine Cancer is the cancer of the endometrium (lining of the uterus), the second most common pelvic cancer in women (after cancer of the cervix). Uterine Cancer is much less treacherous than cancer of either the ovary or cervix. It develops slowly and, can usually be detected early because it almost always causes symptoms of heavy, irregular bleeding, or abnormal bleeding after the menopause, before it spreads.

Uterine cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. Cancer of the uterus is cancer in the womb, the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during a woman's pregnancy. There are different types of uterine cancers. The uterus consists of three main parts, the cervix is the lower portion of the uterus, the broad middle part is the corpus or body, and the dome-shaped top of the uterus is the fundus. When a woman develops uterine cancer, a tumor is formed on her uterus of abnormal or old cells and can either be benign or malignant. Over 470 Victorian women are diagnosed with cancer of the uterus every year. Most of these women are over the age of 50 years. Cancer of the uterus is also known as cancer of the womb, uterine cancer, endometrial cancer and cancer of the lining of the womb.

Cancer of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus (sometimes called the womb), is called endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer, but there are other cells in the uterus that can become cancerous such as muscle or myometrial cells. These form much less common cancers called sarcomas and account for less than 5 percent of uterine cancers. Endometrial cancer is often detected at an early stage because it frequently produces vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods or after menopause. If discovered early, this slow-growing cancer is likely to be confined to the uterus. Removing the uterus surgically often eliminates all of the cancer. In fact, stage I endometrial cancer is successfully treated more than 90 percent of the time. Unfortunately, not all endometrial cancer can be successfully treated. In these cases, the cancer has spread beyond the uterus by the time it's detected. About 7,000 American women die each year of endometrial cancer.

Symptoms of Uterine Cancer

Some common Symptoms of Uterine Cancer :

• Vaginal bleeding or spotting in postmenopausal women.
• Abnormal bleeding between menstrual periods.
• Weight loss.
• Pain during intercourse.
• Pain in the pelvic area.
• Difficult or painful urination.

Cause of Uterine Cancer

The exact cause of Uterine Cancer is not clear. but it seems to be connected with the female sex hormone oestrogen. Uterine Cancer is more common among women over 50 who have been exposed to high levels of oestrogen without the balancing effect of progesterone - women such as those who have had ENDOMETRIAL HYPERPLASIA, POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (multiple cysts in the ovaries), or postmenopausal HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY with oestrogen alone, However, not all women with a history of these conditions develop Uterine Cancer, It is suspected that the endometrium of those who do is more sensitive to the effects of oestrogen stimulation. The common Causes of Uterine Cancer :

• The exact cause of uterine cancer is unknown.
• Obesity.
• Diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Infertility.
• Age 40 or over.
• Family history of endometrial cancer or colon cancer (hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC).
• Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) for treatment of effects of menopause.
• Diet high in animal fat.

Treatment of Uterine Cancer

Treatment of Uterine Cancer is primarily by surgical removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries , which may be curative if the cancer has not spread. The ovaries are removed because they might contain minute spots of cancer, and because any oestrogen they produce might stimulate fu rther growth of tiny groups of cancer cells that have spread elsewhere. If there has been obvious spread when the cancer is diagnosed. surgery is usually followed by radiotherapy, and sometimes by treatment with progestogens.

• Surgical removal of the uterus ( hysterectomy ) and the fallopian tubes and ovaries, and possibly nearby lymph nodes
• Chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy.
• Hormone therapy.
• Surgery to remove the uterus.