Inside Knowledge - Uterine Cancer Facts

Uterine Cancer

Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer

There are five main types of cancer that affect a woman’s reproductive
organs: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. As a group, they
are referred to as gynecologic (GY-neh-kuh-LAH-jik) cancer. (A sixth
type of gynecologic cancer is the very rare fallopian tube cancer.)
This fact sheet about uterine cancer is part of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts
About Gynecologic Cancer campaign. The campaign helps women
get the facts about gynecologic cancer, providing important “inside
knowledge” about their bodies and health.

What is uterine cancer?
Cancer is a disease in which cells
in the body grow out of control.
Cancer is always named for the part
of the body where it starts, even if it
spreads to other body parts later.
When cancer starts in the uterus,
it is called uterine cancer. The
uterus is the pear-shaped organ in
a woman’s pelvis (the area below
your stomach and in between your
hip bones). The uterus, also called
the womb, is where the baby grows
when a woman is pregnant.

The most common type of uterine
cancer is also called endometrial
cancer because it forms in the lining of
your uterus, called the endometrium.
When uterine cancer is found early,
treatment is most effective.

What are the signs and
symptoms of uterine cancer?
Signs and symptoms of uterine
cancer include:
• Vaginal discharge that is not
normal for you.
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding. The
bleeding may be abnormal because
of how heavy it is or when it
happens, such as bleeding after
you have gone through menopause;
bleeding between periods; or any
other bleeding that is longer or
heavier than normal for you.

Who gets uterine cancer?
All women are at risk for uterine
cancer, and the risk increases with
age. Most uterine cancers are
found in women who are going
through, or who have gone through
menopause—the time of life when
your menstrual periods stop.
Each year, approximately 35,000
women in the United States get
uterine cancer. It is the fourth
most common cancer in women
in the United States and it is
the most commonly diagnosed
gynecologic cancer.

• Pain or pressure in your pelvis.
Pay attention to your body, and know
what is normal for you. If you have
vaginal bleeding that is not normal for
you, see a doctor right away. If you
have any of the other signs and they last
for two weeks or longer, see a doctor.
These symptoms may be caused by
something other than cancer, but the
only way to know is to see your doctor.

www.cdc.gov/cancer/knowledge 1-800-CDC-INFO

Inside Knowledge is an initiative that
supports the Gynecologic Cancer
Education and Awareness Act of 2005, or
Johanna’s Law, which was unanimously
passed by the U.S. House and Senate in
December of 2006, and signed into law
in January 2007.

What raises a woman’s chance
of getting uterine cancer?

How can I prevent
uterine cancer?

There is no way to know for sure
if you will get uterine cancer.
Some women get it without
being at high risk. However, the
following factors may increase a
woman’s risk for uterine cancer:

There is no known way to
prevent uterine cancer. But
these things have been shown
to lower the chance of getting
uterine cancer:
• 
Using birth control pills.

What should I do if my
doctor says I have
uterine cancer?
If your doctor says that you have
uterine cancer, ask to be referred to
a gynecologic oncologist—a doctor
who has been trained to treat cancers
like this. This doctor will work with
you to create a treatment plan.

• 
Maintaining a healthy weight
and being physically active.

• Being older than 50.
• B
 eing obese (having a high
amount of extra body fat).
• T
 aking estrogen by itself
for hormone replacement
during menopause (without
also taking the other female
hormone, progesterone).
• H
 aving had trouble getting
pregnant, or fewer than
five periods in a year at any
time in your life before starting
menopause.
• T
 aking Tamoxifen, a drug
used to treat certain types
of breast cancer.
• H
 aving people in your family
with a history of uterine, colon,
or ovarian cancer.
If one or more of these things is
true for you, it does not mean you
will get uterine cancer. But you
should speak with your doctor
to see if he or she recommends
more frequent exams.

• Taking progesterone (the
other female hormone) if
you are taking estrogen to
replace hormones during
menopause.

Are there tests that
can find uterine
cancer early?
The Pap test does not screen
for uterine cancer. The only
cancer the Pap test screens
for is cervical cancer.
Routine testing for uterine
cancer is not recommended
for women who have no
symptoms. This is why you
need to know the signs of
uterine cancer and see your
doctor if you have any of them.
If you think you may be at high risk
for uterine cancer, talk with your
doctor about whether there are
tests you should have and how
often you should be checked.
If you have symptoms or are
at high risk for uterine cancer,
your doctor may perform
an endometrial biopsy or
transvaginal ultrasound. Your
doctor may be able to do these
tests in his or her office, or may
refer you to another doctor.

U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention

Where can I find more
information about
uterine and other
gynecologic cancers?
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention: 1-800-CDC-INFO or
www.cdc.gov/cancer
National Cancer Institute:
1-800-4-CANCER or www.cancer.gov

CDC Publication #99-9125, August 2012

Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer