What is endometrial cancer

What is endometrial cancer? I believe everyone is afraid of endometrial cancer because it is a malignant tumor that poses a great threat to the patient's health. It is more common in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, and its mortality rate is second only to ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. So, what is endometrial cancer?

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common female reproductive system tumors. Its incidence is closely related to lifestyle, and the incidence rate varies in different regions. 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 of endometrial cancer has increased year by year, and is currently second only to cervical cancer in 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 non-estrogen-dependent (type II) according to its pathogenesis and biological behavior characteristics.

Irregular vaginal bleeding is the main symptom of endometrial cancer, which is usually a small to moderate amount of bleeding. In young women or perimenopausal women, it is often mistaken for irregular menstruation and ignored. In postmenopausal women, it often presents as continuous or intermittent vaginal bleeding. Some patients only present with a small amount of bloody vaginal discharge after menopause. In advanced patients, bleeding may be mixed with rotten meat-like tissue.

Some patients have varying degrees of vaginal discharge. In the early stages, it may present as thin white discharge or a small amount of bloody leucorrhea. If there is infection or necrosis of the cancerous foci, there may be purulent discharge with a peculiar smell. Sometimes, the vaginal discharge may be accompanied by tissue-like substances. The cancerous foci and the bleeding or infection caused by them may stimulate uterine contraction and cause paroxysmal lower abdominal pain.

The treatment principle of endometrial cancer is to choose the appropriate treatment method according to the patient's age, physical condition, lesion range and histological type. Since most endometrial cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are not very sensitive to radiotherapy, surgery is the main treatment. Other comprehensive treatments include radiotherapy, chemotherapy and drugs (chemotherapy, hormones, etc.).