Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the uterus. The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped pelvic organ where fetal development occurs.
According to Mayoclinic, endometrial cancer begins in the layer of cells that form the lining (endometrium) of the uterus. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer. Other types of cancer can form in the uterus, 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 female genital bleeding. If endometrial cancer is discovered early, removing the uterus surgically often cures endometrial cancer.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer may include:
1. Genital bleeding after menopause
2. Bleeding between periods
3. Pelvic pain.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience any persistent signs or symptoms that worry you.
Causes
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).
Content created and supplied by: Kwajaffa (via Opera
News )
