Causes Of Uterine Cancer

When you receive a diagnosis of uterine cancer, it is natural to think about what might have caused the disease. Doctors usually can not explain why a woman becomes ill with uterine cancer and another does not.

However, we know that women with certain risk factors may be more likely to develop uterine cancer. A risk factor is something that can increase the chance of the disease.

Studies have identified the following risk factors for uterine cancer:

Abnormal growth of the uterus (endometrial hyperplasia): An abnormal growth of cells in the lining of the uterus is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Hyperplasia is not cancerous, but sometimes it develops into cancer. Common symptoms of this disease are heavy menstrual periods, bleeding between periods and bleeding after menopause. Hyperplasia is more common after 40 years.

To prevent endometrial hyperplasia from developing into cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the uterus (hysterectomy) or hormone treatment with progesterone and regular monitoring of the examinations.

Obesity: Women who are obese are more likely to develop uterine cancer.

The history of reproductive and menstrual: Women have an increased risk of uterine cancer if at least one of the following:

They never had children

If your first menstrual period before age 12

I went through menopause after age 55

History of estrogen use alone: ​​The risk of uterine cancer is higher among women who used estrogen alone (without progesterone) for the hormonal treatment of menopause for many years.

History of tamoxifen: women who took tamoxifen to prevent or treat breast cancer have an increased risk of uterine cancer.

History of radiation therapy to the pelvis: the women who had pelvic radiation therapy are at increased risk of uterine cancer.

Family history: Women with a mother, sister or daughter with cancer of the cervix are at increased risk of developing the disease. Also, women in families with an inherited form of colorectal cancer (known as Lynch syndrome) have an increased risk of uterine cancer.

Many women who develop cervical cancer have none of these risk factors, and many women who have known risk factors do not develop the disease.