What
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What
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Cancer
of the
Uterus
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Cancer Institute

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This booklet is about cancer of the
uterus. The Cancer Information Service
can help you learn more about this
disease. The staff can talk with you in
English or Spanish.
The number is 1–800–4–CANCER
(1–800–422–6237). The number for
deaf and hard of hearing callers with
TTY equipment is 1–800–332–8615.
The call is free.
Este folleto es acerca del cáncer del
útero. Llame al Servicio de Información
sobre el Cáncer para saber más sobre
esta enfermedad. Este servicio tiene
personal que habla español.
El número a llamar es el
1–800–4–CANCER(1–800–422–6237).
Personas con dificultades de audición y
que quentan con equipo TTY pueden
llamar al 1–800–332–8615. La llamada
es gratis.

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Contents
The Uterus 2
Understanding Cancer 3
Uterine Cancer: Who’s at Risk? 6
Symptoms 8
Diagnosis 8
Staging 11
Treatment 12
Side Effects of Cancer Treatment 19
Nutrition 22
Followup Care 23
Support for Women with Uterine Cancer 23
The Promise of Cancer Research 24
Dictionary 26
National Cancer Institute Information Resources 35
National Cancer Institute Booklets 37
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health

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What You Need To Know About™
Cancer of the Uterus
his National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet has
T important information about cancer* of the
uterus. In the United States, cancer of the uterus is the
most common cancer of the female reproductive
system. It accounts for six percent of all cancers in
women in this country.
This booklet has information about the possible
causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer
of the uterus. It will help patients and their families and
friends better understand and cope with this disease.
Research is increasing what we know about cancer
of the uterus. Scientists are learning more about its
causes. They are exploring new ways to prevent, detect,
diagnose, and treat this disease. Research has helped to
improve patients’ quality of life and lower the chance
of dying from this disease.
Information specialists at the Cancer Information
Service can answer callers’ questions about cancer and
can send other National Cancer Institute publications.
The number to call is 1–800–4–CANCER. Also,
anyone may view or order NCI publications on the
Internet at http://cancer.gov/publications.
*Words that may be new to readers are printed in italics. The
“Dictionary” section gives definitions of these terms. Some words in
the “Dictionary” have a “sounds-like” spelling to show how to
pronounce them.
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The Uterus
he uterus is part of a woman’s reproductive
T system. It is the hollow, pear-shaped organ where
a baby grows. The uterus is in the pelvis between the
bladder and the rectum.
The narrow, lower portion of the uterus is the cervix.
The broad, middle part of the uterus is the body or
corpus. The dome-shaped top of the uterus is the
fundus. The fallopian tubes extend from either side of
the top of the uterus to the ovaries.
This picture shows the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus
(cervix, corpus, fundus, endometrium, and myometrium).
The wall of the uterus has two layers of tissue. The
inner layer or lining is the endometrium. The outer
layer of muscle tissue is the myometrium.
In women of childbearing age, the lining of the
uterus grows and thickens each month to prepare for
pregnancy. If a woman does not become pregnant, the
thick, bloody lining flows out of the body through the
vagina. This flow is called menstruation.
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Understanding Cancer
ancer is a group of many related diseases. All
C cancers begin in cells, the body’s basic unit of
life. Cells make up tissues, and tissues make up the
organs of the body.
Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as
the body needs them. When cells grow old and die,
new cells take their place.
Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New
cells form when the body does not need them, and old
cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can
form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.
Tumors can be benign or malignant:
• Benign tumors are not cancer. Usually, doctors can
remove them. Cells from benign tumors do not
spread to other parts of the body. In most cases,
benign tumors do not come back after they are
removed. Most important, benign tumors are rarely a
threat to life.
Benign Conditions of the Uterus
• Fibroids are common benign tumors that grow
in the muscle of the uterus. They occur mainly
in women in their 40s. Women may have many
fibroids at the same time. Fibroids do not
develop into cancer. As a woman reaches
menopause, fibroids are likely to become
smaller, and sometimes they disappear.
Usually, fibroids cause no symptoms and need
no treatment. But depending on their size and
location, fibroids can cause bleeding, vaginal
discharge, and frequent urination. Women with
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these symptoms should see a doctor. If fibroids
cause heavy bleeding, or if they press against
nearby organs and cause pain, the doctor may
suggest surgery or other treatment.
• Endometriosis is another benign condition that
affects the uterus. It is most common in
women in their thirties and forties, especially
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 get
pregnant), but it does not cause cancer. Women
with endometriosis may be treated with
hormones or surgery.
• Endometrial hyperplasia is an increase in the
number of cells in the lining of the uterus. It is
not cancer. Sometimes it develops into cancer.
Heavy menstrual periods, bleeding between
periods, and bleeding after menopause are
common symptoms of hyperplasia. It is most
common after age 40.
To prevent endometrial hyperplasia from
developing into cancer, the doctor may
recommend surgery to remove the uterus
(hysterectomy) or treatment with hormones
(progesterone) and regular followup exams.
• Malignant tumors are cancer. They are generally
more serious and may be life threatening. Cancer
cells can invade and damage nearby tissues and
organs. Also, cancer cells can break away from a
malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or
lymphatic system. That is how cancer cells spread
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from the original (primary) tumor to form new
tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is
called metastasis.
When uterine cancer spreads (metastasizes) outside
the uterus, cancer cells are often found in nearby lymph
nodes, nerves, or blood vessels. If the cancer has
reached the lymph nodes, cancer cells may have spread
to other lymph nodes and other organs, such as the
lungs, liver, and bones.
When cancer spreads from its original place to
another part of the body, the new tumor has the same
kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the
primary tumor. For example, if cancer of the uterus
spreads to the lungs, the cancer cells in the lungs are
actually uterine cancer cells. The disease is metastatic
uterine cancer, not lung cancer. It is treated as uterine
cancer, not lung cancer. Doctors sometimes call the
new tumor “distant” disease.
The most common type of cancer of the uterus
begins in the lining (endometrium). It is called
endometrial cancer, uterine cancer, or cancer of the
uterus. In this booklet, we will use the terms uterine
cancer or cancer of the uterus to refer to cancer that
begins in the endometrium.
A different type of cancer, uterine sarcoma, develops
in the outer layer of muscle (myometrium). Cancer that
begins in the cervix is also a different type of cancer.
This booklet does not deal with uterine sarcoma or with
cancer of the cervix. The Cancer Information Service
(1–800–4–CANCER) can provide information about
these types of cancer. Also, National Cancer Institute
publications may be viewed or ordered on the Internet
at http://cancer.gov.publications.
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Uterine Cancer: Who’s at Risk?
o one knows the exact causes of uterine cancer.
N However, it is clear that this disease is not
contagious. No one can “catch” cancer from another
person.
Women who get this disease are more likely than
other women to have certain risk factors. A risk factor
is something that increases a person’s chance of
developing the disease.
Most women who have known risk factors do not
get uterine cancer. On the other hand, many who do get
this disease have none of these factors. Doctors can
seldom explain why one woman gets uterine cancer and
another does not.
Studies have found the following risk factors:
• Age. Cancer of the uterus occurs mostly in women
over age 50.
• Endometrial hyperplasia. The risk of uterine
cancer is higher if a woman has endometrial
hyperplasia. This condition and its treatment are
described on page 4.
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is used
to control the symptoms of menopause, to prevent
osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), and to reduce
the risk of heart disease or stroke. Women who use
estrogen without progesterone have an increased risk
of uterine cancer. Long-term use and large doses of
estrogen seem to increase this risk.
Women who use a combination of estrogen and
progesterone have a lower risk of uterine cancer than
women who use estrogen alone. The progesterone
protects the uterus.
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Document Outline

• Contents
• Introduction
• The Uterus
• Understanding Cancer
• Uterine Cancer: Whos at Risk?
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis
• Staging
• Treatment
• Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
• Nutrition
• Followup Care
• Support for Women with Uterine Cancer
• The Promise of Cancer Research
• Dictionary
• National Cancer Institute Information Resources
• National Cancer Institute Booklets

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