Uterine cancer is cancer that starts in a woman’s uterus. You can read more about cancer of the uterus in the uterine cancer overview. If your doctor suspects that you have uterine cancer, he may order one or more tests to aid the diagnosis:
• Pelvic exam – The doctor looks into the vagina and feels for any changes or lumps on the vagina, uterus, bladder, or rectum. The opening to the uterus is very small, so this test is not an effective test for diagnosing uterine cancer, but is used to screen for other conditions.
• Pap test – The doctor collects cells from the cervix (lower end of the uterus) and vagina. The sample is tested for abnormal cells. This test is of limited use in diagnosing uterine cancer, but is often used to screen for other problems.
• Transvaginal ultrasound – An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create a visual image of the inside of the body on a video monitor. In this procedure, the doctor inserts an instrument into the vagina to send the sound waves into the uterus to create a picture that can be checked to see if the walls of the uterus are thicker than they should be.
• Biopsy – The doctor removes a small sample of tissue from the lining of the uterus which is sent to the lab for testing. This may be done in the doctor’s office, or may be treated as same-day surgery. A biopsy can cause some cramping and vaginal bleeding.
If abnormal uterine cells are found, the doctor will need to determine the stage of the cancer in order to develop a treatment plan. These are the basic stages of uterine cancer:
• Stage 1 – The cancer is confined to the body of the uterus and has not spread into the cervix.
• Stage 2 – Cancer has spread from the uterus into the cervix.
• Stage 3 – Cancer has spread outside the uterus into the pelvis. Lymph nodes in the pelvis may contain uterine cancer cells.
• Stage 4 – Cancer has spread outside the uterus into the bladder or rectum, or has spread outside the pelvis to other parts of the body.
Treating uterine cancer
There are four basic types of treatments that your doctor may recommend to treat uterine cancer:
• Surgery – The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the cancer as possible. This usually means removing the uterus. Depending on the tumor and the stage of the cancer, a hysterectomy is needed to remove the uterus and cervix. The ovaries and fallopian tubes may also be removed.
• Radiation therapy – This treatment uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be given in the form of an implant that is placed near the cancer to kill the cancer cells by releasing radiation, or it may be beamed at the appropriate part of the body. In either case, other cells around the tumor are often damaged by the radiation. This treatment is often used in combination with surgery or chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy – Cancer-killing drugs may be used to shrink or kill the tumor. These drugs may be given orally as pills, or may be injected into a blood vein (IV) or into a muscle. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, which means it affects cells throughout the body, not just the tumor cells.
• Hormone therapy - This treatment uses hormones or hormone-blocking drugs to fight the cancer. It is primarily given to patients with endometrial stromal carcinomas, which are cancers in the connective tissue in the lining of the uterus. It is rarely used to fight other types of uterine cancer.
Your doctor will recommend the best treatment or combination of treatments for your type of cancer. Be sure to ask whatever questions you have to make sure you understand your options before selecting your cancer treatments.
As with all cancers, early detection is critical in the treatment of uterine cancer. See your doctor if you have any symptoms of uterine cancer.
Sources:
National Cancer Institute
Centers for Disease Control
CDC: Uterine Cancer Guide
American Cancer Society