Endometrial cancer is cancer of the endometrium or the lining in the uterus. Take note that this cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the country today. Over 35,000 women are diagnosed with this disease each year but because of effective screening, not too many people die from it even though as written earlier, it is more common than cervical or ovarian cancer. Those who have endometrial cancer are mostly women who have large amounts of estrogen in their body. So women who use estrogen-enhancing products after their menopause, be aware.
Women who are obese and have a history of hypertension and diabetes and other gynecologic diseases are also highly prone to endometrial cancer. Other factors are the following: infertility, early menarche, late menopause and women who were never able to become pregnant.
Nothing beats a healthy lifestyle though as a deterrent against endometrial cancer. First of all, maintain a healthy diet. Always drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Take vitamins everyday. Exercise and take control of your stress.
There are actually several types of endometrial cancer: adenocarcinoma, papillary serous carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma which develops in the endemetrium’s connective tissue.
It mainly occurs after menopause though so prevention can certainly be achieved by patronizing Pap smear and other similar screenings. But the most common method used in detecting endometrial cancer is through biopsy. CT scan as well as transvaginal ultrasound is also used to determine and diagnose the disease as well as pelvic and rectal examinations, stool tests, blood tests, chest x ray, complete blood count and other tests, including liver tests.
One of the symptoms of endometrial cancer is vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge and the accompanying abdominal pain that goes along with it. There may also be pain occurring during sexual intercourse.
For advanced stages of the cancer, colonoscopy or hysterectomy is highly recommended. Colonoscopy is the process by which part of your colon is removed while hysterectomy is simply removal of the uterus. Other surgical methods can be the removal of certain pelvic nodes. But be warned though on the complications that may arise from surgery. These include hemorrhage already optimized earlier by the vaginal bleeding, injury to surrounding organs like the large intestine, blood clot and adverse reaction to anesthesia.
Meanwhile, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are advisable for the early stages of the disease. There are two forms of radiation: external and internal. In external, a machine not too different from x ray is beamed to the part of the body where the endometrium is located. It is interesting to note that most patients refrain from sexual intercourse in the days while radiation therapy is performed because contact with the vagina is painful. For internal radiation, radioactive material is inserted into the vagina. There are side effects of radiation although these are highly tolerable: diarrhea, itchiness of the vagina and frequent urination.
Still, there is another form of treatment for endometrial cancer. There is what we call as hormone therapy. Progesterone is injected into the endometrium to balance one’s estrogen levels.
Because of extreme vaginal bleeding, anemia may result as a complication for endometrial cancer.
Helpful information about Endometrial cancer:
Overviews,symptoms, and treatment
