Endometrial Cancer
In the United States, endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. In fact, it’s the fourth most common cancer in women – an average of 41,000 American women are diagnosed each year. Fortunately, endometrial cancer is often detected at an early stage, because it frequently causes vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods or after menopause. The majority of women with endometrial cancer are diagnosed at an early stage. However, some cases are not found until the cancer has spread beyond the uterus, and about 7,000 women in the United States die from endometrial cancer each year.
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Signs and Symptoms
Endometrial cancer usually begins in the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus, and it typically develops over a number of years. The first symptom of endometrial cancer is often abnormal vaginal bleeding. Most cases develop in postmenopausal women who no longer have menstrual periods, however, a small percentage of cases have been diagnosed in women under the age of 40.
The following are signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer:
- Prolonged periods or bleeding between periods
- More frequent vaginal bleeding or spotting during the years leading up to menopause (which is considered perimenopause)
- Any vaginal bleeding after the time of menopause
- Pelvic pain (this is most common late in the disease)
- Weight loss
It is rare for endometrial cancer to reach an advanced stage without presenting any signs or symptoms. Remember that endometrial cancer is much more likely to be cured when detected at its early stages, so it is important to pay attention to your body and report any symptoms to your doctor. There are other conditions that can cause some of the same symptoms, but you should not ignore the signs of endometrial cancer. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, contact your physician. If you would like to make an appointment with a Northwestern Memorial Hospital physician for the first time, call our Physician Referral Department at (877) 926-4664 or request an appointment online.
Treatment Advances for Endometrial Cancer
If you have been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, you are likely considering your treatment options. Historically, surgical treatment of endometrial cancer involved a laparotomy (which is an abdominal incision), a total abdominal hysterectomy, removal of the ovaries, a lymph node dissection and pelvic washings. However, recent advances in robotics and laparoscopic instrumentation and techniques allow trained surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer.
In recent years, surgeons at Northwestern Memorial have been surgically treating certain gynecologic cancers, including endometrial cancer, with robotic and other minimally invasive surgical techniques. M. Patrick Lowe, MD, director of the robotics and minimally invasive surgical program for the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, was among the early adopters of robotics to treat gynecologic malignancies and is now a renowned robotic surgeon.
Today, there are only a few gynecologic oncology programs that routinely perform advanced minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for gynecologic cancer . At Northwestern Memorial, doctors often use the da Vinci® surgical system. For more information about the advantages of MIS or to find out if you might be a candidate for MIS, read our information about Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery.
ContactIf you or a loved one has been diagnosed with endometrial cancer and you’d like to be treated by one of the gynecologic oncologists at Northwestern Memorial, your doctor may refer you. If you don’t have a doctor at Northwestern Memorial and would like to make an appointment with one of our gynecologists for the first time, call (877) 926-4664 or request an appointment online.
