Are you at risk for endometrial or uterine cancer? If you are older and female, the answer is yes. Read about the Risk Factors.

Most women in the United States are familiar with breast cancer and the need for mammograms, but they are woefully ignorant about uterine cancer. Breast cancer kills more women, and that is one reason why it has gotten more attention and why early detection is crucial. Uterine cancer usually causes vaginal bleeding, a symptom which sends most women to their gynecologist. If uterine cancer is detected early enough, there is a 90% chance of complete cure. The high cure rate has made gynecologists and the medical establishment somewhat complacent. Little is done to educate older women about this type of cancer. Each year, 40,000 women are given a diagnosis of uterine cancer. Seven thousand die from the disease. Uterine cancer is most common type of gynecological cancer (cancer of the reproductive organs).

There are several types of uterine cancer. Cancer in the lining of the uterus, the endometrium, is the most common type. It occurs most often in women in their 50's. Sometimes the bleeding it causes is confused with menopause, and women do not bother to see their doctors. If the cancer invades the deeper layers of the uterus then it may metastasize to other organs in the pelvic area. Your chances of survival are much lower in this case. Typically, the cancer cells travel to the cervix, vagina, or to the colon.

The other type of uterine cancer is uterine sarcoma. This type usually occurs in older women in their 60's and 70's. The statistics for survival are not as good as those for endometrial cancer. Any bleeding from the vagina in women past menopause is a crucial symptom! Post-menopausal women should run, not walk to their gynecologist if they detect blood or even pink-colored discharge from their vaginas. African-American women have a higher rate of uterine sarcoma than Anglo women. Anglo women get endometrial cancer more often. Consequently, the survival statistics for African-American women are not as good as for Anglo women with uterine cancer. There are also socio-economic reasons why African-American women do not have health insurance and access to good medical treatment.

What are some of the other risk factors which make certain groups of women more at risk than others? Let's go down the list:

1. Women without children -

if you have not been pregnant even once in your lifetime, then you have been exposed to a lot of estrogen hormone. Estrogen has been strongly associated with many types of cancer. It acts like a growth hormone and it seems to make a few cancer cells grow at a very fast rate. If the cells remain few in number, then your body's immune system might have a chance to kill it off all by itself. But if estrogen is present, then the tumor grows quickly and your body cannot get rid of it. This is a good reason to avoid Hormone Replacement Therapy. Women who have had 4-5 kids have the lowest gynecological cancer rates.

2. Overweight Women -

Every fat cell in your body produces estrogen! For the same reasons as #1, increased estrogen in your body increases your chance of getting not only uterine cancer but other types of cancer as well. For example, breast cancer. Women who are overweight have symptoms of menopause that are less severe because of the extra estrogen. That's one good result. As you get older, the chances of getting cancer go higher, so this is a good reason to lose weight and avoid Hormone Replacement Therapy.

3. Early Menarche or Late Menopause -

Early menarche (the onset of monthly periods) or a late occuring menopause indicate that you have had exposure to lots of estrogen. In pre-literate societies, girls begin menstruation around the age of 16! Only in industrialized societies do girls begin their periods at 12 or younger. Something in the environment (like chlorine compounds) is mimicing estrogen . A late menopause past age 50 is also a risk factor. By 50, your estrogen levels may be very, very low; however, as long as you are having your period, no matter how short, then you are producing estrogen. And we know how estrogen affects cancer cells. They grow like crazy.

4. Bladder Infections -

If your body is fighting off a cancerous tumor in the uterus, than your immune system is taxed. Other opportunistic infections begin to show up. One type of infection in the pelvic region is an infection of the bladder. Bladder infections combined with irregular, frequent bleeding (#7) are very strong signals that you have uterine cancer. See your gynecologist immediately!

5. Polyps, Fibroids, and other growths -

If you have a MRI, CAT scan, or Ultrasound done, and it shows that you have polyps in your uterus, then this is a definite indication that you have uterine cancer. This is a good reason to do a MRI or CAT scan when you reach the age of 48-50 years old, if not earlier. If you have a benign growth like fibroids, it may or may not mean anything. Doctors have not figured out fibroids and why some women get them. Are fibroids the result of estrogen? Some people think there is a connection. The big problem with fibroids is that they block the view of inexpensive scans like the ultrasound. If you have large fibroids, then you should have them removed or get a hysterectomy (if you are past the child-bearing years).

6. Painful Sexual Intercourse or Pelvic Exams -

If something is growing in your uterus like a tumor, fibroids or polyps, then you may experience pain when something (a penis or a speculum) is inserted into your vagina. Doctors and the nursing staff tend to be dismissive of pain or discomfort women experience during a pelvic exam. Large fibroids if located at the bottom of your uterus can distort the shape of the vagina making a pelvic exam with a speculum impossible. If you experience pain during intercourse or in a pelvic exam in your older years and this is a problem you never had before, then you need to force the gynecologist to check it out. Get an ultrasound or a CAT scan done! Sure, it's a vague symptom, but don't ignore it.

7. Irregular Vaginal Bleeding or Spotting -

This is the symptom which brings most women into their doctor's office, and they may do a biopsy on the uterus. This saves many women's lives. The biopsy is a simple office procedure and does not require anesthesia. Sadly, some women in their late 40's and early 50's assume that this bleeding is part of menopause, and they don't do anything about it. Don't assume that irregular periods or irregular bleeding is caused by menopause. It may be cancer! Especially if you have the other risk factors listed above.