It starts in the layer of cells that make the lining (endometrium) of the uterus. Some Other types of cancer can also form in the uterus, including uterine sarcoma, but they are often less common when compared to endometrial cancer. It is quite often to detect Endometrial cancer at an early stage because it frequently produces abnormal vaginal bleeding. Removing the uterus surgically often cures endometrial cancer, if detected at an early stage.
Factors that increase the risk of endometrial cancer include:
Changes in the balance of female hormones in the body:Altered hormonal [estrogen and progesterone] levels leads to changes in the endometrium.
More years of menstruation:Starting menstruation at an early age<12 or beginning menopause later increases the risk of endometrial cancer.
Never having been pregnant:Risk increases in women who have never been pregnant
Older age: Endometrial cancer occurs most often after menopause.
Obesity : Excess body fat alters body’s balance of hormones.
Hormone therapy for breast cancer:Taking the hormone therapy drug tamoxifen for breast cancer can increase the risk of developing endometrial cancer.
An inherited colon cancer syndrome:Lynch syndrome, also called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is a syndrome that increases the risk of colon cancer and other cancers, including endometrial cancer.
Surgery: Surgery is the most common treatment for endometrial cancer.surgeons consider vaginal hysterectomy or total hysterectomy with bilateral saplingo oopherectomy with or without lymph nodal dissection.
Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is given depends on the type,stage ,grade of the cancer being treated. External and internal radiation therapy are used to treat endometrial cancer, and also be used as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing.
Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing.