What is endometrial cancer?

Endometrial cancer is a group of epithelial malignancies that occur in the endometrium and are common in menopausal and postmenopausal women. Endometrial cancer is one of the most common female reproductive system tumors, with nearly 200,000 new cases each year. It is the third most common gynecological malignancy after ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. Its incidence is closely related to lifestyle and the incidence rate varies. In North America and Europe, its incidence rate is second only to breast cancer, lung cancer and colorectal tumors, ranking first among female reproductive system cancers. In my country, with the development of society and the improvement of economic conditions, the incidence rate of endometrial cancer has also increased year by year, second only to cervical cancer, and ranks second among female reproductive system malignancies.

The cause of endometrial cancer is still unclear. It is generally believed that endometrial cancer can be divided into estrogen-dependent type I and estrogen-independent type II according to the pathogenesis and biological behavior characteristics. The vast majority of estrogen-dependent endometrial cancers are endometrioid carcinomas, and a small number are mucinous adenocarcinomas; estrogen-independent endometrial cancers include serous carcinomas, clear cell carcinomas, etc.

The cause of endometrial cancer is still unclear. It is generally believed that endometrial cancer can be divided into estrogen-dependent type I and estrogen-independent type II according to the pathogenesis and biological behavior characteristics. The vast majority of estrogen-dependent endometrial cancers are endometrioid carcinomas, and a small number are mucinous adenocarcinomas; estrogen-independent endometrial cancers include serous carcinomas, clear cell carcinomas, etc.

The treatment principle of endometrial cancer should be to select the appropriate treatment method according to the patient's age, physical condition, lesion range and tissue type. Since the vast majority of endometrial cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are not very sensitive to radiotherapy, the treatment is mainly surgery, and other comprehensive treatments include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, etc. Early patients are mainly treated with surgery, based on the pathological staging results of surgery-adjuvant therapy and high-risk factors for recurrence; advanced patients are treated with comprehensive treatment of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.