Cancer is a disease of the cells in the body. The body is made up from millions of tiny cells. There are many different types of cell in the body and there are many different types of cancer which arise from different types of cell. What all types of cancer have in common is that the cancer cells are abnormal and multiply out of control.
The Uterus
The uterus is a hollow organ in females located in the pelvis, commonly called the womb. It consist of three layers:
√ endometrium (inner layer)
√ myometrium (middle muscle layer) and
√ parametrium (outer layer)
What is uterine cancer?
Most uterine cancers develop from cells in the endometrium. The endometrium is the inside lining of the womb (uterus) and this cancer is called endometrial cancer.
Cancer developing from muscle cells in the myometrium (uterine sarcomas) are rare and not very common.
Cancer of the cervix (cervical cancer) is quite different to uterine cancer.
Uterine cancer is the abnormal (malignant) growth of any cells that comprise uterine tissue. The buildup of cancer cells may form a mass (malignant tumor).
Non-cancer cells that form a mass are termed benign tumors.
STAGES OF UTERINE CANCER
There are 4 stages of uterine cancer.
👉Uterine cancer stages (0 to IV) are determined by
√ biopsy
√ chest X-ray
√ CT or MRI scans.
CAUSE
Unknown
i.e no one knows the exact cause but the factors that can lead to uterine cancer are:
👉Endometrial overgrowth (hyperplasia) i.e the overgrowth of the inner wall of the uterus.
👉Obesity
👉Smoking
👉Women who have never had children
👉menses beginning before age 12
👉menopause after age 55
👉estrogen therapy
👉Age, race
👉genetics.
👉taking tamoxifen (a drug used to prevent and treat breast cancer)
👉radiation to the pelvis
👉family history of uterine cancer
👉Lynch syndrome (most commonly seen as a form of inherited colorectal cancer
👉 Other health conditions e.g diabetes
👉Diet i.e carcinogenic foods.
Cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body.
SIGNS OF UTERINE CANCER
Common signs and symptoms of uterine cancer are:
👉abnormal vaginal bleeding (most common symptom),
👉vaginal discharge,
👉pain with urination and/or sex, and
pelvic pains.
👉Pain in your lower tummy (abdomen).
HOW IT IS DETECTED
👉Pelvic examination
👉Pap test ( a swab sample up your uterus and sent to the lab?
👉ultrasound scan
👉biopsy (They will take a tiny chunk of the fleshy part of the uterine tissue for lab check)
👉CT or MRI may be done to help confirm the diagnosis.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Different factors cause different types of cancer. Researchers continue to look into what factors cause this type of cancer. Although there is no proven way to completely prevent this disease, you may be able to lower your risk.
Research has shown that certain factors can lower the risk of uterine cancer such as:
👉Taking birth control pills, especially over a long period of time.
👉Considering the risk of uterine cancer before starting HRT(hormone replacement therapy), especially estrogen replacement therapy alone. Using a combination approach to HRT may help lessen risk.
👉If diabetic, maintaining good disease control such as regularly monitoring blood glucose levels
👉Maintaining a healthy weight.
TREATMENT
Treatment options may include one or more of the following:
👉 surgery
👉 radiation
👉 hormone therapy
👉 chemotherapy.
Treatment depends on the following:
√ uterine cancer stage
√ your age
√ Your general health
uterine cancer stage IV is the most extensive and usually caused by the most aggressive type of cancer cells.
You and your doctors can decide what treatment plan is best for you.
👉Surgical therapy usually involves removal of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, adjacent lymph nodes, and part of the vagina.
👉Radiation therapy may be by external radiation or by internal radiation (brachytherapy).
👉Chemotherapy usually requires IV administration of drugs designed to kill cancer cells.
Most chemotherapy treatments need to be done in repeated cycles of drug administration followed by a rest period.
👉 Hormone therapy (usually progesterone) is used on uterine cancer cells that require another hormone (estrogen) for growth.
👂Follow-up care is important. Complications can be treated early, and possible cancer recurrence can be diagnosed early.
HLF🌀
