Compassionate care for endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer risk is often linked to the balance of hormones, specifically estrogen. Anything that increases estrogen exposure without a balancing amount of progesterone can raise your risk. Common risk factors include obesity, taking estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy after menopause, and certain genetic syndromes like Lynch syndrome. Having a family history of endometrial cancer or starting menstruation at a young age can also increase your risk.

While some risk factors, like genetics, are out of your control, others can be managed. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise is one of the most effective ways to lower your risk. For postmenopausal women, discussing hormone replacement therapy options with a doctor is also important to ensure a balanced approach.

Treatment for endometrial cancer is highly personalized and depends on the type and stage of the cancer, as well as your overall health. For most women, the primary treatment is surgery to remove the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. This may be followed by other treatments like radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy to help prevent the cancer from returning. Your care team will discuss all of your options to create the best plan for you.

Each treatment has its own set of potential side effects. Surgery can lead to temporary pain and fatigue. Radiation therapy might cause skin changes or digestive issues. Chemotherapy can result in nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. Your care team at TMC Health Cancer Center will provide you with a survivorship plan and tools to manage side effects and maintain your quality of life during and after treatment.

Staging is the process of determining how much cancer is in the body and where it is located. Doctors use a staging system to describe the cancer, from Stage I (limited to the uterus) to Stage IV (spread to distant parts of the body). Staging is crucial because it helps your care team determine the most effective treatment plan for your specific case and gives an indication of the likely outcome.