Uterine cancer is perhaps one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer in women. Several hundred thousand women a year get this type of cancer. Most often, this disease occurs in women aged 40 to 60 years. This is a malignant tumor of uterine cells. It can spread to the entire body. Therefore, any woman should pay special attention to her health and any unusual manifestations. The causes leading to cancer are still unknown, but it is believed that factors such as obesity, polycystic phenomena in the ovaries, late menopause, heredity, breast cancer , etc. can provoke it.
How to identify cancer? This can be done only after a detailed examination. Only a doctor will prescribe all the necessary tests. Uterine cancer is a very dangerous disease. Late access to a doctor can cause death. Early diagnosis and timely treatment can lead to complete recovery.
Uterine cancer symptoms:
- spotting from the vagina is the most common sign of cancer.
- leucorrhoea - vaginal discharge.
- sudden weight loss and fatigue.
- lower abdominal pain, lumbar pain, perineal pain.
- pain during sexual intercourse, as well as bleeding with them.
Cervical erosion, ulcers, various epithelial growths, leukoplakia, chronic inflammatory processes - endometrioses - are also factors that increase the risk of cancer.
There are factors that are believed to reduce the risk of developing this disease. These are birth control pills. If a woman took them for a year, then for the next 10 years she is protected from such a pathology as uterine cancer.
Symptoms of this disease can be identified by every woman. They should alert and be the basis for urgent medical attention.
Often in the treatment of uterine cancer, surgical removal of the main female organ, as well as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, is used. For women who already have children and are in the menopause, the absence of the uterus no longer matters.
With a disease such as uterine cancer, the symptoms for women of childbearing age and women in menopause are basically the same. However, there are some points worth paying attention to.
Diagnostic tests
How to recognize cancer in women in menopause, when menstruation is already becoming irregular? During menopause, normal menstruation should become more rare and disappear. If this does not happen and spotting does not become more scarce over time, this is an occasion for a visit to the doctor.
With a disease such as uterine cancer, symptoms may not sufficiently determine the picture of the disease. For its diagnosis, the following methods are used:
- Visual and manual examination by the gynecologist of the walls of the vagina.
- Ultrasound examination of the uterus. It will allow you to determine the size and structure of the uterus and fallopian tubes, as well as the thickness of the endometrium and its structure.
- Curettage and histology of the resulting tissue. This method is fundamental in diagnosing cancer of the uterus. The procedure is very painful and is carried out in a hospital under general anesthesia. Histological examination is usually ready within one to two weeks.
The results of a histological examination will indicate the type of cancer: adenocarcinoma, squamous or papillary. After that, adequate treatment will be prescribed.
Cancer prevention
Prevention of the disease is very important for the health of women. After the age of 30 years, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations, examinations and cytological studies with a frequency of once every two years. You must also be careful about any unusual manifestations of the body.