Why uterus cancer causes

Radiation therapy , the use of x-rays to kill or injure cancer cells, is commonly used as an additional treatment to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back. It may be recommended as the main treatment if you are not well enough for surgery. Radiation therapy is given either externally, where a machine directs radiation at the cancer and surrounding tissue; or from inside the body brachytherapy , where radioactive material is put in thin tubes and placed near the cancer internally.

Radiation therapy to the pelvic region may cause menopause, therefore, if you are concerned about how treatment will affect your fertility, it is important to raise your concerns with your treatment team before treatment commences. Hormone therapy is usually given if the cancer has spread or if the cancer has come back recurred. It is also sometimes used if surgery is not an option.

Progesterone is the main hormone treatment for women with uterine cancer, and it is available in tablet form or by injection by a GP or nurse.

It helps shrink some cancers and to control symptoms. Chemotherapy is used to treat certain types of uterine cancer, or when cancer comes back after surgery or radiotherapy, or if the cancer is not responding to hormone treatment. It can be used to control the cancer and to relieve symptoms.

It is usually given as a drug that is injected into a vein intravenously. The doctor will explain the chemotherapy treatment course and how long it will last. In some cases of uterine cancer, your medical team may talk to you about palliative care. Palliative care aims to improve your quality of life by alleviating symptoms of cancer.

As well as slowing the spread of uterine cancer, palliative treatment can relieve pain and help manage other symptoms. Treatment may include radiotherapy, chemotherapy or other drug therapies. However, you may be able to minimise your risk factors, such as maintaining a healthy weight, and being vigilant about any abnormal vaginal bleeding.

It is not possible for a doctor to predict the exact course of a disease, as it will depend on each person's individual circumstances. However, your doctor may give you a prognosis, the likely outcome of the disease, based on the type of uterine cancer you have, the test results, the rate of tumour growth, as well as your age, fitness and medical history.

Shop Online. Contact Us. Cancer information What is cancer? Common cancer symptoms Facts and figures Explore What is cancer? Find out more. Jump to:. Jump to section. About uterine cancer. Screening and Early Detection. What is uterine cancer? It is estimated that new cases of uterine cancer will be diagnosed in Australia in Uterine cancer is often referred to as endometrial cancer as this is the most common form.

Uterine cancer symptoms Unusual vaginal bleeding is the most common symptom of uterine cancer, particularly any bleeding after menopause. Other common symptoms may include: heavier than usual periods or a change in your periods vaginal bleeding between periods periods that continue without a break.

Less common symptoms include: a watery discharge, which may have an unpleasant smell. While these symptoms may be caused by other reasons, check with your GP if you are concerned. It usually happens after menopause, in people over the age Having a high level of a hormone called oestrogen is one of the main things that can increase your chance of getting womb cancer. Find out more about what causes womb cancer on Cancer Research UK. You cannot always prevent womb cancer, but there are things you can do to lower your chance of getting it.

Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer. Other types of cancer can form in the uterus, including uterine sarcoma, but they are much less common than endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is often detected at an early stage because it frequently produces abnormal vaginal bleeding. If endometrial cancer is discovered early, removing the uterus surgically often cures endometrial cancer. Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience any persistent signs or symptoms that worry you.

Doctors don't know what causes endometrial cancer. What's known is that something occurs to create changes mutations in the DNA of cells in the endometrium — the lining of the uterus. The mutation turns normal, healthy cells into abnormal cells. Healthy cells grow and multiply at a set rate, eventually dying at a set time. Abnormal cells grow and multiply out of control, and they don't die at a set time.

The accumulating abnormal cells form a mass tumor. Cancer cells invade nearby tissues and can separate from an initial tumor to spread elsewhere in the body metastasize. The ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina vaginal canal make up the female reproductive system. Changes in the balance of female hormones in the body. The ovaries make two main female hormones — estrogen and progesterone. Fluctuations in the balance of these hormones cause changes in the endometrium.

A disease or condition that increases the amount of estrogen, but not the level of progesterone, in your body can increase your risk of endometrial cancer. Examples include irregular ovulation patterns, which might happen in polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity and diabetes.