What are the classifications of uterine cancer? How to distinguish early uterine sarcoma from uterine fibroids?

There are many types of uterine cancer, and uterine sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor that is the most difficult to treat. There are no obvious symptoms in the early stages of uterine sarcoma, so many female friends miss the best treatment period without realizing it. Uterine sarcoma is divided into three types: uterine leiomyosarcoma, malignant Mullerian mixed tumor, and endometrial stromal sarcoma.

Types and early symptoms of uterine sarcoma

There are no particularly obvious symptoms in the early stages of uterine sarcoma. Most early patients are discovered during gynecological B-ultrasound examinations. Of course, you should pay attention to observation at ordinary times. If the menstrual cycle is irregular, some postmenopausal women have symptoms such as vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal pain, you should go to the hospital for examination immediately to achieve early detection and early treatment.

How to distinguish early uterine sarcoma from uterine fibroids

In appearance, there is no particularly obvious difference between uterine sarcoma and uterine fibroids, so how to distinguish them?

Generally, uterine fibroids are more common in women between 30 and 50 years old, while uterine sarcoma is more common in people around 50 years old. Uterine fibroids grow slowly or do not change, while uterine sarcoma generally grows very fast. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors, while uterine sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor. The nature of the two can be said to be worlds apart.

Treatment of uterine sarcoma

Early stage of uterine sarcoma: surgical removal of the entire uterus and ovaries. Young patients with low-grade malignant endometrial stromal sarcoma should not retain their ovaries because they are sex hormone-dependent tumors, and the hormones secreted by the ovaries may stimulate the growth of latent tumors.

Mid-stage uterine sarcoma: extensive hysterectomy and cervical resection, pelvic lymph node dissection, suitable for stage II patients with lesions extending beyond the uterine body and involving the cervix.

Late-stage uterine sarcoma: extensive hysterectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, and tumor cytoreductive surgery should be performed to remove extrauterine metastatic tumor lesions as much as possible.

Patients with uterine sarcoma also need radiotherapy. Radiotherapy has a certain role as an adjuvant treatment for uterine sarcoma. It is mostly used for supplementary treatment after surgery or for patients with late recurrence who are not suitable for surgery. The local recurrence rate of postoperative radiotherapy is 3%, which is significantly better than the recurrence rate of postoperative chemotherapy, which is 55%. Surgery plus radiotherapy for uterine sarcoma can control recurrence in the pelvis, but distant metastasis to areas outside the radiotherapy range can still occur. Chemotherapy has a certain effect on distant metastasis of uterine sarcoma, but if it recurs, treatment will be more difficult.

The incidence of uterine sarcoma accounts for about 3% of uterine cancer. Female friends must pay attention to cleaning the vulva at ordinary times. Once there is gynecological discomfort, it is best to go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.