Disease of Women! Yes this Endometrial cancer is primarily a disease of postmenopausal women. The average age at diagnosis is approximately 60 years.
Women diagnosed with endometrial cancer when they are younger than 40 years make up only 5% of the total cases.
Specific risk factors such as morbid obesity, chronic anovulation, and hereditary syndromes affect these women invariably. This type of disease is more common in white women when compared to black women
The most common symptom is PMP bleeding. Women with PMP vaginal bleeding having a gynecologic malignancy are only 10-20%. 12-16% of women with endometrial cancer are diagnosed with PMP bleeding.
Women are usually older than 40 years with premenopausal bleeding due to endometrial cancer. However, the diagnosis of this cancer needs to be considered in younger women with a history of anovulatory bleeding and obesity.
The differential diagnosis must include breakthrough bleeding with estrogen replacement therapy, atrophic vaginitis, endometrial/cervical polyps, atrophic endometrium and sub mucosal leiomyomas.
As the patient’s age and number of risk factors (Etiology) increase, the etiology of the PMP bleeding is more likely to be endometrial cancer.
These may be Advance Disease Symptoms! Other presenting symptoms may include purulent genital discharge, pain, weight loss, and a change in bladder or bowel habits.
Fortunately, prior to this clinical presentation most cases of endometrial cancer are diagnosed because of the recognition of PMP bleeding as a possible early symptom of cancer.
Less than 5% of the cases of endometrial cancer are diagnosed incidentally when the patient is asymptomatic.
Screening! The finding of a typical glandular cell on Pap smear in a woman after menopause is strongly suggestive of endometrial malignancy.
Suitable Treatments! After diagnosis and initial evaluation, the doctor considers treatment options that fit each woman’s needs and discusses these options with her.
The choice of treatment depends on the size of the tumor, the stage of the disease, whether female hormones affect tumor growth, and tumor grade.
Low-grade cancers are likely to grow and spread more slowly than high-grade cancers.
The tumor grade tells how closely the cancer resembles normal cells and suggests how fast the cancer is likely to grow.
Other factors, including the woman’s age and general health, are also considered when planning treatment.
Women with endometrial cancer may be treated by a team of specialists that may include a gynecologist, gynecologic oncologist and a radiation oncologist. A gynecologic oncologist is a doctor who specializes in treating cancer of the female reproductive tract.
This is really Must and Should!! Getting a Second Opinion, yes this is important because the opinions differ from doctor to doctor, way of thinking, understanding and proceedings differ greatly so always it is suggested that all cancer patients take a second opinion for better approach towards the treatment and betterment.
Common method of treating most women with endometrial cancer is surgery. Some have radiation therapy. A smaller number of women may be treated with hormone replacement therapy or chemotherapy [Chemotherapy Side Effects].
Another treatment option for women with endometrial cancer is to take part in treatment studies (clinical trials).
The ultimate treatment studies and endometrial cancer clinical trial results show that chemotherapy is better than whole-abdominal radiation for advanced endometrial cancer.
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