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Endometrial Cancer
Overview. Sometimes called uterine cancer, endometrial cancer is a designation given to several types of cancers, which arise from the endometrium (lining of the uterus). Although developing endometrial cancer before the age of 40 is rare, it can occur in both pre- and postmenopausal women. Symptoms such as uterine bleeding after menopause or abnormal menstrual bleeding before menopause develop early and are fairly recognizable making it highly treatable. Endometrial cancer rarely runs in families.Please note: any bleeding after menopause, even one spot in one instance, is abnormal and should be evaluated by a physician with an ultrasound or biopsy (tissue sample).
Diagnosis. Though an ultrasound can show a thickening of the lining (endometrium), which may or may not be caused by cancer, a definite diagnosis can only be made through biopsy (tissue sample). At The Lacks Cancer Center, our surgical oncologists perform biopsies in one of two ways:
- Endometrial biopsy. This procedure can be carried out at our facility under local anesthesia (deadening of a small portion of the body). During this process, a speculum is placed into the vagina to expose the cervix, then a small tube is inserted into the uterus to acquire tissue.
- Dilation and Curettage (D&C). This is done as an outpatient procedure in our operating room and is often combined with hysteroscopy (using a small scope to see the cavity and ensure an adequate sample is taken). During a D& C, the cervix is exposed and stretched (dilated) and a curette (spoon-shaped scraping instrument) is used to retrieve a tissue sample.
- Stage I. Cancer is confined to the uterus
- Stage II. Cancer spreads to the cervix
- Stage III. Cancer has spread to other pelvic structures or lymph nodes
- Stage IV. Cancer has spread into the abdomen or to distant sites, such as the lung