Are fat women more likely to get endometrial cancer? Painless curettage should be done early

Endometrial cancer, also known as uterine body cancer, is most common in people aged 58-61. Endometrial cancer is one of the three most common tumors in the female reproductive tract. The incidence has been on the rise in recent years, especially as obesity has become an "epidemic". Therefore, the incidence of endometrial cancer will continue to rise in the next few decades, so female friends, especially obese women, should be more vigilant.

High-risk factors for endometrial cancer include age, obesity, infertility, late childbearing, and delayed menopause. Among them, obesity is the most common high-risk factor. Nearly 70% of early patients are obese women. Generally, if the weight exceeds the standard by more than 15%, the risk of disease increases by 3 times. According to relevant literature reports, obese patients account for 3% of the Japanese population, while obese people account for 40% of the American population. The latter has an incidence of endometrial cancer that is about 7 times that of the former.

In addition, 90% of endometrial cancer patients have a history of irregular vaginal bleeding; 10% have vaginal bleeding after menopause. Therefore, it is recommended that all postmenopausal women with irregular vaginal bleeding should undergo cervical cytology examination, B-ultrasound, etc. to rule out the possibility of endometrial cancer as soon as possible.

If young women suffer from endometrial cancer, they often experience increased menstrual volume, prolonged menstrual period, shortened menstrual cycle or prolonged menstruation, which needs to be differentiated from menstrual disorders.

Painless curettage for early diagnosis of endometrial cancer

Postmenopausal bleeding is not a disease, but a clinical symptom. Is it a benign lesion or endometrial cancer? A detailed examination is needed to make a diagnosis.

In clinical practice, for patients with postmenopausal bleeding, B-ultrasound and curettage are generally recommended. B-ultrasound mainly looks at the thickness of the endometrium. If the thickness increases and the echo is abnormal, it means that the endometrium may have excessive proliferation. The thickness of the endometrium is closely related to the occurrence of endometrial cancer. At this time, further examination should be done to determine whether it is simple hyperplasia or complex hyperplasia. The latter is often considered a "precancerous lesion" and requires hysterectomy.

At present, the most reliable method for diagnosing endometrial cancer is to do curettage. Doctors point out that when B-ultrasound examination finds hyperplasia of the endometrium, if the thickness of the endometrium is less than 5mm, diagnostic curettage can be temporarily omitted, and close follow-up is performed, with B-ultrasound examination every 3-6 months. If the thickness of the endometrium exceeds 5mm, diagnostic curettage should be performed in time to confirm the diagnosis.

However, because curettage is somewhat traumatic, many patients have some concerns about it. Experts say that in a painless (intravenous anesthesia) state, a small amount of endometrial tissue is taken under hysteroscopy for pathological examination. This diagnostic method can detect endometrial cancer at an early stage. Therefore, it is recommended to perform curettage if necessary.