Nutrition

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Nutrition
Good nutrition is important. Patients who eat well often feel better and have more energy. Eating well during cancer treatment means getting enough calories and protein to help prevent weight loss, regain strength, and rebuild normal tissues.

Some women find it hard to eat well during treatment. They may lose their appetite. In addition to loss of appetite, common side effects of treatment, such as nausea and vomiting, can make eating difficult. Also, women may not feel like eating when they are uncomfortable or tired.

Diagnosis

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Diagnosis
If a woman has symptoms, her doctor asks about her medical history and conducts a physical exam. In addition to checking general signs of health, the doctor usually performs blood and urine tests and one or more of the following procedures:

• The doctor performs a pelvic exam, checking the vagina, uterus, ovaries, bladder, and rectum. The doctor feels these organs for any lumps or changes in their shape or size. An instrument called a speculum is used to widen the vagina so the doctor can see the upper portion of the vagina and the cervix.
• The Pap test is often performed during a pelvic exam. The doctor uses a wooden scraper (spatula) or small brush to collect a sample of cells from the cervix and upper vagina. The cells are then sent to a medical laboratory to be checked for abnormal changes. Because uterine cancer begins inside the uterus, it may not show up on a Pap test, which examines cells from the cervix.
• A biopsy is necessary to help the doctor make a diagnosis. A biopsy can usually be done in the doctor's office. In a biopsy, the doctor removes a sample of tissue from the uterine lining. In some cases, a woman may require a dilation and curettage (D&C), which is usually same-day surgery done in a hospital with anesthesia. During a D&C, the opening of the cervix is widened and the doctor scrapes tissue from the lining of the uterus. A pathologist examines the tissue to check for cancer cells, hyperplasia, or other conditions. After a D&C, women may have cramps and vaginal bleeding during healing.

A woman who needs a biopsy may want to ask the doctor some of the following questions:

• What type of biopsy will I have? Why?
• How long will it take? Will I be awake? Will it hurt?
• How soon will I know the results?
• If I do have cancer, who will talk with me about treatment? When?

What Happens After the Implant Is Removed?

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

igh dose rate treatments are short (usually a few minutes) and result in less discomfort than other types of radiation therapy. Because radioactive materials are not left in your body, you can return home soon after you recover. Remote brachytherapy has been used to treat cancers of the cervix, breast, lung, pancreas, prostate, and esophagus.

What Happens After the Implant Is Removed?
Usually there is no need to have an anesthetic to take out the implant. Most can be taken out right in the patient's hospital room. If you had to stay in bed during implant therapy, you might have to remain in the hospital an extra day or so after the implant is removed. Once the implant is removed, there is no radioactivity in your body. The nurses and your visitors no longer will have to observe any special rules.

Your doctor will tell you if you should limit your activities after leaving the hospital. Most patients are allowed to do as much as they feel like doing. You may need some extra sleep or rest breaks during your first days at home, but you will feel stronger quickly.

The area that has been treated with an implant may be sore or sensitive for some time after therapy. Your doctor may advise you to limit sports and sexual activity for a while if they cause irritation in the treatment area.

Does the Implant Spread Radiation to Others?

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Does the Implant Spread Radiation to Others?
The radioactive substance in your implant may transmit rays outside your body. While you're receiving implant therapy, the hospital may require you to stay in a private room. Although the nurses and other people caring for you will not be able to spend a long time in your room, they will give you all of the care you need. You should call for a nurse when you need one, but keep in mind that the nurse will work quickly and speak to you from the doorway more often than from your bedside. In most cases, your urine and stool will contain no radioactivity. However, either one may contain some radioactive material if you have unsealed internal radiation therapy.

There also will be limits on visitors while your implant is in place. Most hospitals do not let children younger than 18 or pregnant women visit patients who have an implant. Visitors should sit at least 6 feet from your bed and stay for only a short time each day (10 to 30 minutes). Have visitors ask your nurse for specific instructions before they enter your room.

Are There Any Side Effects?
You are not likely to have severe pain or feel ill during implant therapy. However, if an applicator is holding your implant in place, it may be somewhat uncomfortable. If you need it, the doctor will order medicine to help you relax or to relieve pain. Some patients feel drowsy, weak, or nauseated after having the anesthesia to place the implant, but these effects do not last long.

Be sure to tell the nurse if you have any side effects such as burning, sweating, or other unusual symptoms. In the section of this website called "Managing Side Effects, "you will find tips on skin care and what you can do about problems that might occur after implant therapy."

How Long Does the Implant Stay In Place?
The total amount of time that an implant is left in place depends on the dose (amount) of radioactivity with which the patient is treated. The implant may be low dose rate and left in place for several days, or it may be high dose rate and removed after a few minutes. Generally, low dose rate implants are left in place from 1 to 7 days. Your treatment schedule will depend on the type of cancer, where it is, your general health, and other cancer treatments you have had. Depending on where the implant is placed, you may have to stay in bed and lie fairly still to keep the implant from shifting.

For some cancer sites, the implant may be left in place permanently. If your implant is permanent, you may need to stay in your room away from other people in the hospital for a few days while the radiation is most active. The implant will lose energy each day, so by the time you are ready to go home, the radiation in your body will be much weaker. Your doctor will advise you if there are any special precautions you need to use at home.

High dose rate remote brachytherapy allows a person to be treated within a few minutes in inpatient or outpatient clinics. With remote brachytherapy, a very powerful radioactive source travels by remote control through tubes, or catheters, to the tumor. The radioactivity remains at the tumor for only a few minutes. This procedure is done by the brachytherapy team, who will watch you on a closed-circuit television. They will talk to you through an intercom In some cases, several remote treatments may be required. Sometimes, the catheter stays in place between treatments and sometimes it is removed, depending on your condition.

When Is Internal Radiation Therapy Used?

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When Is Internal Radiation Therapy Used?
Your doctor may decide that very intense radiation given to a small area of your body is the best way to treat your cancer. Internal radiation therapy places the source of the high-energy rays as close as possible to the cancer cells so that fewer normal cells are exposed to radiation. By using internal radiation therapy, the doctor can give a higher total dose of radiation in a shorter time than is possible with external treatment. Instead of using a large radiation machine, the radioactive material is placed directly into (or as close as possible to) the affected area. Some of the radioactive substances used for internal radiation treatment include radium, cesium, iridium, iodine, phosphorus, and palladium.

Internal radiation therapy often is used for cancers of the head and neck, breast, uterus, thyroid, cervix, and prostate. Your doctor may recommend a combination of internal and external radiation therapy.

Implant radiation as used in this section means internal radiation treatment. You also may hear the terms interstitial radiation, intracavitary radiation, or brachytherapy; each is a form of internal radiation therapy. Some people use the term "brachytherapy" whenever they are talking about any form of internal radiation therapy.

When interstitial radiation is given, the radiation source is placed right in the affected tissue, usually in small tubes or containers. These implants may be temporary or permanent. When intracavitary radiation is used, a container of radioactive material is placed in a cavity of the body such as the uterus. In brachytherapy, the radioactive source, which is sealed in a small container, is placed on the surface of the body near the tumor or a short distance from the affected area. The radioactive source also may be delivered to the tumor through tubes; this is called remote brachytherapy. Internal radiation also may be given by injecting a solution of radioactive substance into the bloodstream or a body cavity. When the substance is injected, it is not sealed in a container and may be called unsealed internal radiation therapy.

How Is the Implant Placed In the Body?
For most types of implants, you will need to be in the hospital and have general or local anesthesia while the doctor places the container for the radioactive material in your body. In many hospitals, the radioactive material is placed in the container after you return to your room so that others are not exposed to radiation.

To get the radiation as close as possible to the cancer, doctors may use implants of radioactive material sealed in wires, seeds, capsules, or needles. The type of implant and the method of placing it depend on the size and location of the cancer. Implants may be put right into the tumor, in special applicators inside a body cavity, on the surface of a tumor, or in the area from which the tumor has been taken.

Useful cancer treatment links

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Useful cancer treatment links

Cancer Resource Links

The links, provided below by Varian Medical Systems, are provided for your convenience and reference only. These links are not intended as an endorsement by Varian Medical Systems of the information contained on the web sites or of the individual(s)/companies/institutions operating these web site(s).

Cancer Information Web Sites

American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org

Patient Stories

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Patient Stories

Everything we do at Varian is motivated by a desire to make a difference in the lives of patients. Because of this we have created technology to treat most cases of cancer with the highest levels of precision and accuracy. This has enabled patients to have better outcomes and less side effects from treatment.

These cancer patients have shared their personal stories about what it was like for them after they were diagnosed with cancer and then treated using the latest technology from Varian Medical Systems for boosting the dose of radiation to the tumor while reducing its effects on the surrounding healthy tissues.

Fighting Cancer with Varian

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Fighting Cancer with Varian

New cancer-fighting technology offers hope to millions

The Trilogy® accelerator is Varian's most versatile and powerful medical image-guided radiation therapy machine, capable of targeting tumors with sub-millimeter accuracy while sparing surrounding healthy tissues for better outcomes and fewer side effects.

Radiation therapy is effective against many forms of cancer, and it saves lives. Nearly two-thirds of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy at some point during their treatment.

Varian Medical Systems is at the forefront of major advances in the field of radiation therapy, supplying treatment centers around the world with sophisticated technology that makes it possible to precisely target tumors while protecting surrounding healthy tissues. As a result of these advances, cancer patients around the world are finding their chances for survival greater and their chances of side effects dramatically reduced. This is why thousands of doctors rely on Varian for the best patient treatments and why millions of patients, each year, are treated on Varian accelerators — more than any other radiation therapy equipment in the market.

Varian's latest advances enable a technique called Dynamic Targeting® image-guided radiotherapy. This new approach enables doctors to see, measure, track, and treat cancerous tumors with unprecedented precision — even when they move.

Thanks to Varian's track record for innovation and technical excellence, 78% of the leading hospitals in the U.S.choose Varian equipment.

Malignant Tumors

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Malignant Tumors
Malignant tumors are cancer. Cancer cells can invade and damage tissues and organs near the tumor. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This is how cancer spreads from the original (primary) tumor to form new tumors in other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Most cancers are named for the part of the body in which they begin. The most common type of cancer of the uterus begins in the endometrium. This type of cancer is called endometrial or uterine cancer. In this website, we will use the term uterine cancer to refer to cancer that begins in the endometrium. A different type of cancer, uterine sarcoma, develops in the uterine muscle. Cancer that begins in the cervix is also a different type of cancer. This booklet does not deal with uterine sarcoma or cancer of the cervix. The Cancer Information Service can provide information about uterine sarcoma and cancer of the cervix.

As uterine cancer grows, it may invade nearby organs. Uterine cancer cells also may break away from the tumor and spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, and bones. When cancer spreads to another part of the body, the new cancer has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the original (primary) cancer. For example, if uterine cancer spreads to the lungs, the cancer cells in the new tumor are uterine cancer cells. Cancer that has spread from the uterus to other parts of the body is called metastatic uterine cancer; it is not lung cancer.

Benign and Malignant Tumors

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors

Benign and Malignant Tumors
Cancer is a group of many different diseases that have some important things in common. They all affect cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand cancer, it is helpful to know about normal cells and about what happens when cells become cancerous.

The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep the body healthy. Sometimes cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed. A mass of extra tissue forms, and this mass is called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign Tumors
Benign tumors are not cancer. They can usually be removed and, in most cases, they do not come back. Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Most important, benign tumors are rarely a threat to life.

Fibroids are common benign tumors of the uterine muscle. These tumors do not develop into cancer. Fibroids are found mainly in women in their forties. Women may have many fibroid tumors at the same time. In most cases, fibroids cause no symptoms and require no treatment, although they should be checked by a doctor. Depending on the size and location of the tumors, however, symptoms sometimes occur. These symptoms may include irregular bleeding, vaginal discharge, and frequent urination. When fibroids cause heavy bleeding or press against nearby organs and cause pain, surgery or other treatment may be recommended. When a woman reaches menopause, fibroids are likely to become smaller, and sometimes disappear.

Endometriosis is another benign condition that affects the uterus. It does not develop into cancer. Endometriosis is seen mostly in women in their thirties and forties, particularly in women who have never been pregnant. It occurs when endometrial tissue begins to grow on the outside of the uterus and on nearby organs. This condition may cause painful menstrual periods, abnormal vaginal bleeding, and sometimes loss of fertility (ability to produce children). Treatment options generally include hormone therapy and surgery.

Endometrial hyperplasia, also a benign condition, is an increase in the number of cells lining the uterus. Although it is not cancer, endometrial hyperplasia is considered a precancerous condition; in some cases, it may develop into cancer. Heavy menstrual periods, bleeding between periods, and bleeding after menopause are common symptoms of hyperplasia. The treatment is usually hysterectomy or hormone therapy with progesterone, depending on the extent of the condition and whether a woman wants to have children.

The Uterus

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors


The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ. It is located in a woman's lower abdomen between the bladder and the rectum. Attached to either side of the top of the uterus are the fallopian tubes, which extend from the uterus to the ovaries.

The narrow, lower portion of the uterus is the cervix; the broad, middle part is the corpus; and the dome-shaped upper portion is the fundus. The walls of the uterus are made of two layers of tissue: the inner layer or lining (endometrium) and the outer layer or muscle (myometrium).

In women of childbearing age, the lining of the uterus grows and thickens each month so that it will be ready if pregnancy occurs. If a woman does not become pregnant, the thickened tissue and blood flow out of the body through the vagina; this flow is called menstruation.

Cancer of the Uterus (Endometrial Cancer)

uterine cancer, cancer of the uterus, endometrial cancer, symptoms, signs, statistics, treatment, causes, advanced, stages, prognosis, types, metastatic, surgery, uterus, uterine, endometrium, endometrial, hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, womb cancer, cancer of the endometrium, risk factors



What is cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer)?

Endometrial cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in the lining of the uterus. It is the most common type of uterine cancer. The uterus (womb) is the muscular organ at the top of the vagina. Babies develop in the uterus, and menstrual blood comes from the uterus.

Uterine cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. It occurs most often in women between the ages of 50 and 70.
How does it occur?

The cause of cancer of the uterus is not known. However, you are at greatest risk of having this type of cancer if you have a condition that causes your body to produce a lot of the hormone estrogen and you have gone through menopause. Having a high level of estrogen in your body does not create a high risk of cancer by itself. It is a risk only when your body also does not have enough of another hormone called progesterone. After you go through menopause, the progesterone in your body decreases or disappears. Usually estrogen levels also drop quite a bit.

Examples of conditions in which you may have high levels of estrogen without enough progesterone are:

* obesity (being very overweight)
* a history of infertility or no pregnancies during your lifetime
* starting menstruation early or having a late menopause
* polycystic ovary syndrome
* tumors of the ovary that produce a lot of estrogen
* use of estrogen hormones for estrogen replacement therapy without the addition of progesterone.

Other factors related to an increased risk of uterine cancer are:

* radiation treatment of the pelvic area
* a combination of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity
* start of menstrual periods at an early age
* previous breast or ovarian cancer
* tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include:

* bleeding or discharge not related to menstruation (periods)
* difficult or painful urination
* pain during sexual intercourse
* pain in the pelvic area.

Abnormal bleeding is the first symptom in 90% of endometrial cancers. Many women ignore this bleeding or blame it on menopause. If you have unusual bleeding or any of the other symptoms listed above, contact your health care provider.
How is it diagnosed?

Rarely uterine cancer is found as a result of a Pap test. For the Pap test, your health care provider takes a sample of cells from the opening of the uterus (the cervix). The cells are then examined in a lab. A Pap test may miss cancers that develop higher up in the uterus.

Your provider will examine the condition and size of your uterus. You will probably have a pelvic exam. You may have an ultrasound scan. The scan is done with high-frequency sound waves and their echoes to create video pictures of the uterus.

You may have a biopsy. For a biopsy, your provider will remove a small sample of the endometrium to be examined under a microscope. The biopsy can usually be done in your provider's office. It causes only a little discomfort. You may have cramps or pain for a short time after the procedure.

You may also have a D&C (dilation and curettage) to remove tissue for examination. This procedure is done under local or general anesthesia. Your cervix is widened (dilated) and a sharp tool called a curette is used to scrape the walls of the uterus. These tissue scrapings are checked for cancer cells. After a D&C, your uterus will bleed for a couple of days and you may have some low back and pelvic pain. However, this procedure often reduces or stops any abnormal bleeding you were having.

Another procedure that may be done is a hysteroscopy. This is an exam of the uterus with a thin telescopelike tube, a tiny camera, and a tool to remove part of the endometrium.

If you have cancer, you may have some blood tests, a urine test, a CT scan, or x-rays to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
How is it treated?

If the cancer is diagnosed early, the uterus is usually removed (hysterectomy), along with the ovaries, fallopian tubes (tubes from the ovaries to the uterus), and some lymph nodes.

Other treatment will depend on the type of cancer cells present and the extent of spread. Besides surgery, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, or (rarely) chemotherapy may be used alone or in combination.
How long will the effects last?

With early treatment, more than 80% of women with uterine cancer survive more than 5 years and most are completely cured. The longer the condition goes untreated, the lower the survival rate. For this reason, regular gynecologic exams are important for all women. If you develop unusual spotting or bleeding not related to menstrual periods, see your provider to evaluate your symptoms.
How can I prevent it?

Because the cause of uterine cancer is unknown, there is no way to prevent it. However, the following may help lower your risk:

* Eat a diet low in animal fat.
* Control your weight by eating healthy foods and exercising.
* Control your blood pressure by decreasing stress and eating a diet low in salt.
* Report abnormal vaginal bleeding promptly to your health care provider.
* Have an annual pelvic exam and Pap test.
* If you still have your uterus and are taking estrogen hormone therapy, you should take progesterone with the estrogen and follow your provider's advice for regular exams.

For more information, contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or call 800-ACS-2345. The National Cancer Institute (800-4-CANCER) is another resource.