If you are reading this, chances are either you or someone you know has been diagnosed with uterine cancer. When I started my healing journey I found all kinds of articles, statistics, survival stories, and information about breast cancer, melanoma and colorectal cancers, but surprisingly, not that much on uterine cancer.
In these posts, I would like to go over things I wish I would have known when I was diagnosed. This is to help you move forward faster and not make the same mistakes I made, which not only delayed my healing, but set me back financially, physically, and emotionally. Here is the outline of what I will be discussing in this first post:
- What is uterine cancer
- What are the risk factors and symptoms
- How is uterine cancer diagnosed
- One thing you can do today to get started on your healing journey
I first want to tell you, do not despair, there is hope! This post is the first of many to come to help you on your healing journey. Cancer is our body’s way of telling us that we are out of balance. It is a part of us and we should not set out to kill it, but to heal it. We want to nurture our bodies to help them to heal and dissolve the abnormal cells and tumors that have shown up to wake us up.
WHAT IS UTERINE CANCER?
Uterine cancer can also be referred to as endometrial cancer because endometrial cancer makes up about 95% of all cases of uterine cancer. In this and subsequent posts I will often use uterine and endometrial cancer interchangeably except when referring to uterine sarcoma.
Uterine cancer begins in the uterus. Endometrial cancer develops in the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium. This type makes up 95% of uterine cancers. Uterine sarcoma is different. This originates in the myometrium, the smooth muscle layer of the uterus, outside of the endometrium. This type of cancer is rare and makes up only 5% of cases.
I had never even heard of uterine cancer when I was diagnosed and yet it is the most common cancer affecting the reproductive system of women! It accounts for almost 4% of all new cancer cases in the United States.
There are many different histologic types of uterine cancer and they have different prognoses depending on type, grade, and stage. The most common is endometrial carcinoma (which is what I had). Other types that are not common are clear cell carcinoma, serous adenocarcinoma, leiomyosarcoma and carcinosarcoma.
The rates of uterine cancer are rising in the United States at a rate of 2% per year for women 45 and under and 1% per year for older women. Approximately 3.1% of women will be diagnosed with uterine cancer in their lifetime! It has now become the 6th most common cause of cancer death in women in the US. In fact, endometrial cancer is one of only a few malignant conditions for which both the incidence and mortality are rising.
By 2040, it is projected to be the 3rd most prevalent cancer and the 4th leading cause of cancer death in women. Read More
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR UTERINE CANCER?
- Age – this disease typically occurs in post-menopausal, older women. The average age is 64. There are exceptions, including me. I was diagnosed at 57, but most women are first diagnosed in their mid 60s and older.
- Obesity – Obesity can lead to higher levels of estrogen, which leads to hormonal imbalance. Excess estrogen can overstimulate the cells lining the uterus to grow abnormally.
- Early menstruation and late menopause – The longer you have your periods, the longer you are exposed to estrogen, which again can lead to abnormal growth of the cells lining the uterus.
- Genetics (rare) – Doctors will try to convince you that genetics play a role, but studies and newer information are showing that <5% of all cancers are due to genetics. One exception would be those individuals with Lynch Syndrome. This genetic disorder increases the risk of colorectal and endometrial cancer.
- Hormonal changes or hormone replacement therapy – Excess estrogen can fuel uterine cancer. In my own case, I had been using Premarin vaginal cream for months, which I now believe contributed to my cancer. It is a form of estrogen that my doctors assured me was very safe. I don’t agree and now wish I had never used it.
- Tamoxifen – This is a type of hormone therapy used for breast cancer treatment and has been shown to increase the risk for endometrial cancer.
- Not having had any children – Women who never gave birth are 2 times more likely to develop uterine cancer as women who have had at least one child. The reason being that during pregnancy, estrogen levels are lowered. The more times a woman gives birth, the less estrogen her body makes, lowering her risk.
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – Women with this syndrome are likely to have chronically elevated estrogen levels.
- Diabetes – Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes causes elevated blood glucose and has been linked to increased risk for endometrial cancer.
7 SYMPTOMS YOU SHOULD NOT IGNORE!
1. Unusual vaginal bleeding, spotting, or discharge, especially after menopause
2. Abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding or bleeding between periods
3. Pain in the pelvic area, cramping
4. Unusual enlargement of the lower belly
5. Frequent urination or trouble urinating
6. Weight loss
7. Abdominal pain
In hindsight, I had noticed a slight vaginal discharge and some cramping for a week or so months prior to my diagnosis. I thought I might be developing a yeast infection, but it was very mild and resolved itself so I thought nothing of it. Now I wish I had gone to the doctor right away. It was three months later that the blood spotting started and I first went to the doctor.
Any discharge or bleeding after menopause should be considered an abnormal symptom and be checked right away. I know of other women who were diagnosed with uterine cancer who were having very heavy periods, blood clots, and prolonged periods. We often ignore this thinking it’s part of menopause, but it may not be, so it is better to get checked right away.
DIAGNOSING UTERINE CANCER
There are several things that are done to get a definitive diagnosis of uterine cancer.
Typically a pelvic exam and pap smear are performed first by a gynecologist. Please be aware that a routine pap smear will miss this type of cancer because it is within the uterus, not the cervix. If your gynecologist does not want to do further testing you may want to seek a second opinion to be safe.
A transvaginal ultrasound is the next step in most cases and is used to detect abnormal thickening of the uterus or obvious masses. It provides a more detailed look at the reproductive organs than a standard abdominal ultrasound. In my case I had abnormal thickening of the lining of the uterus, which can be a red flag for cancer.
A definitive diagnosis is made with a biopsy. In some women the biopsy can be obtained while they are awake by passing a special instrument through the cervix into the uterus to obtain samples.
Another means of doing this is with general anesthesia and a hysteroscopy. This is where they pass a scope into the uterus and look around and obtain biopsies. It is also called a dilatation and curretage. This is what I had done as the awake approach was too painful for me.
I would encourage everyone with any of the signs of uterine cancer to get further testing to be on the safe side. If it is missed it could spread further and then be much harder to treat.
I will go over different grades and stages of uterine cancer in another post. The most important thing is to get tested if you have any symptoms, because if caught early, uterine cancer has an excellent prognosis!
ONE THING YOU CAN DO TODAY TO START ON YOUR HEALING JOURNEY
The very first thing that could make a tremendous difference right away is to stop all sugar in your diet and get off of processed foods. It is now a well known and scientifically proven fact that sugar can feed cancer. Every cell in your body uses sugar (glucose) for energy, but cancer cells will gobble up sugar at a much faster rate than normal cells, which speeds up their growth. Read More
Unfortunately, sugar and other sweeteners are found in about 80% of processed (packaged) foods on the market including salad dressings, ketchup, mayonnaise, cereal, soda, chips, crackers and fast food, the list goes on and on. This also includes fake sugars like sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, and maltodextrin.
Studies show the average American eats 76 pounds of different forms of sugar every year! Read More
Processed foods can also be filled with toxic chemicals, preservatives, fillers, and pesticides that will keep you sick.
I know this will be a very hard thing to do, but trust me, it is well worth it. Start slow if you have to, but do this. Read all labels carefully and look for the hidden sugars and chemicals and stay away from those foods.
I went cold turkey when I found out I had cancer and emptied my pantry and my fridge and transitioned over to real whole foods that did not come in a box or a can and have a list of 20 ingredients.
I’m always amazed and shocked in cancer centers where they are handing out candy bars, orange juice, and soda to patients undergoing chemotherapy!
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life. – Psalm 138:7