women s health issues
Cancer of the Uterus
Introduction
The most common type of cancer of the uterus develops in the lining of the uterus (endometrium) and is called endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer usually affects women after menopause. It typically causes abnormal vaginal bleeding. To diagnose this cancer, doctors remove a sample of tissue from the endometrium to be analyzed (biopsy). Treatment usually involves removing the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes and sometimes involves removing nearby lymph nodes, often followed by radiation therapy and sometimes by chemotherapy or hormone therapy. (See also Overview of Female Reproductive System Cancers .) Most cancers of the uterus begin in the lining of the uterus (endometrium) and are called endometrial cancer (endometrial carcinoma). Approximately 75 to 80% of endometrial cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from gland cells. Sarcomas, another type of cancer, develop from muscle or connective tissue. Sarcomas tend to be more aggressive than other types. Fewer than 5% of cancers in the uterus are sarcomas. Endometrial cancer is more common in high-resource countries where obesity rates are high. In the United States, this cancer is the 4th most common cancer among women. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, approximately 66,200 new cases of endometrial cancer will be diagnosed and that approximately 13,030 women will die of this cancer. Approximately 80% of these new cases will be early stage with good prognosis, and the remaining 20% will have high-grade or advanced-stage disease. In the United States, endometrial cancer rates are higher than average in Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women. Mortality is highest in Black women. Endometrial cancer usually develops after menopause, most often in women aged 55 to 64 years. Endometrial cancer is classified as follows: Type Icancers are more common, respond toestrogen, and are not very aggressive. They tend to occur in younger women, women with obesity, or women going through perimenopause (the years just before and the year after the last menstrual period). The prognosis for women with type I cancers is good. Type IIcancers are more aggressive and tend to occur in older women. Approximately 10% of endometrial cancers are type II. The prognosis for women with type II cancers is poor. 