What is Uterine Cancer?

Also called: Cancer of the uterus, cancer of the womb.

Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells becomes abnormal and divide itself very fast to produce too much tissue which forms a tumor. The uterus is the hollow, pear shaped organ in the lower abdomen where the baby grows if a women is pregnant.

Uterine cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. Other types of cancer of the female reporductive system are cervical cancer and ovarian cancer. There are two types of uterine cancers: endometrial cancer (which accounts for 90% of uterine cancer) and uterine sarcomas.

Endometrial cancer happens when cancer begins in the tissue lining the uterus (endometrium). Uterine sarcomas occur when cancer grows in the muscles or other supporting tissues in the uterus.


Endometrial cancer

Adenocarcinoma, which are more common during perimenopause (i.e., transitional years proceeding and following actual menopause) and usually are associated with an early onset of symptoms. It originates in surface cells of the endometrium, and accounts for 75%– 90% of all cases of endometrial cancer.

Other types of endometrial cancer include adenosquamous carcinoma, papillary serous carcinoma and clear cell carcinoma. These three types of endometrial cancer usually have poor prognosis (i.e. more likely to spread and recur).

Uterine sarcoma

Types of uterine sarcoma include carcinosarcoma (most common type), leiomyosarcoma (develop in the muscle layer of the uterus called the myometrium), and endometrial stromal sarcoma (develop in supporting connective tissue).