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Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the inner lining of the uterus (womb), called the endometrium. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer in Hong Kong, it is the 4th most common cancer among women aged between 45 to 55. If you have endometrial cancer or are close to someone who does, knowing what to expect can help you cope on this journey. Here are Healthy Matters, you can find out all about the risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer is cancer of the inner lining (endometrium) of the uterus. The uterus is a female reproductive organ, normally about the size and shape of a medium-sized pear. The uterus is where a fetus grows and develops when a woman is pregnant. The body of the uterus has 2 main layers, the outer thick layer of muscles (myometrium) that is required to push the baby out during childbirth, and the inner lining (endometrium) where it could provide nutrients to the fetus if pregnancy occurs. When cells in the endometrium start to grow out of control and divide uncontrollably, it will eventually lead to endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer can be divided into different types based on how the cells look under the microscope (histological types), such as:
The exact cause of endometrial cancer is unknown, however many risk factors were identified that are strongly linked to this condition. Having a high level of a hormone called estrogen is one of the main factors that can increase the risk of getting endometrial cancer.
Endometrial is commonly diagnosed at an earlier stage as most women present with post-menopausal bleeding even at the early stage of the condition.
Symptoms of endometrial cancer may include:
Endometrial cancer is most often diagnosed after a woman goes to her gynecologist because of her symptoms. After taking a thorough medical history and clinical examination, if the diagnosis of endometrial cancer is suspected or needs to be ruled out, the doctor may do the following tests:
Further imaging tests may be required if doctors suspect that the cancer is advanced, to look for cancer spread. Which include:
Endometrial cancer is classified into four stages:
Read here to learn more about the stages of endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer is usually treatable when it is found early, the cure rate is high more than 80% in stage I endometrial cancer. Treatment options will depend on the size and location of the cancer, whether it has spread to other parts of the body, and your general health.
Treatment for endometrial cancer usually involves an operation to remove the uterus (hysterectomy), as well as to remove the fallopian tubes and ovaries (salpingo-oophorectomy). During the surgery, the surgeon will also look into the areas around the uterus to look for cancer spread and remove lymph nodes for testing.
Radiotherapy uses high-powered radiation beams to destroy cancerous cells. It may be used together with chemotherapy after surgery to destroy remnants of the cancerous tissues that were not removed during surgery. It is useful in preventing recurrence and enhancing the survival rate.
Chemotherapy is an anti-cancer drug injected into a vein or taken orally by mouth, which can kill cancerous cells and stop them from growing and dividing. It can be used before surgery to shrink cancer so that it is more likely to be removed completely during surgery. It is sometimes recommended after surgery to prevent recurrence and enhance the survival rate.
Chemotherapy can also be used to treat advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that has spread beyond the uterus.
Hormone therapy may be an option if endometrial cancer has advanced and spread beyond the uterus. It involves taking hormones or hormone-blocking drugs to slow the growth of endometrial cancer cells. The most commonly used hormone medication is a progesterone (e.g. medroxyprogesterone acetate, megestrol).
Targeted therapy works by using specific biological molecules to stop the growth of cancerous cells and cut off the tumor cells’ ability to grow and repair themselves. Targeted therapy tends to be used alongside chemotherapy in treatments for endometrial cancers.
Immunotherapy is a drug treatment that helps your immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy might be considered if endometrial cancer is advanced and other treatments haven’t helped.
Endometrial cancer may be prevented with the following strategies:
Endometrial cancer is highly curable when found early. The overall 5-year relative survival rate of endometrial cancer is 70.4% in Hong Kong. The stage at diagnosis is one of the most important factors in endometrial cancer survival. The 5-year relative survival rate was 89.7% for stage I but dramatically fell to 9.9% for stage IV.
A pap smear is not used to screen for endometrial cancer. However, pap test results sometimes show signs of an abnormal endometrium.
There is no single blood test that can diagnose endometrial cancer. However, a blood test can be helpful to check for anemia (low red blood cell count).
This article was independently written by Healthy Matters and is not sponsored. It is informative only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be relied upon for specific medical advice.
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