Cancer of the lining of the uterus (or womb) is called endometrial cancer. You can increase the chances that endometrial cancer will be found early by having any unusual bleeding checked by your doctor right away. Endometrial cancer can almost always be treated successfully if it’s caught early.
Certain things may put you at greater risk for getting endometrial cancer, one being age. Endometrial cancer is most common in women who are over 50 years old. Women who have never been pregnant and women who use a medicine called tamoxifen may also be at greater risk.
Endometrial cancer can be diagnosed by using endometrial biopsy or by dilatation and curettage (D&C) of the uterus. Both procedures can be effective.
Risk factors for Increased Risk of Endometrial Cancer
Early puberty onset
Counter Indicators
Late/delayed puberty onset
Low Progesterone or Estrogen Dominance
High levels of estrogen without opposing progesterone can increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Using estrogen replacement therapy without taking progesterone or progestins is also related to a greater risk for endometrial cancer.
Low Melatonin Level
Decreased melatonin levels probably contribute to an increased risk of endometrial cancer. See link between Low Melatonin Levels and Endometrial Cancer.
(Past) non-human estrogen use
In 1975, The New England Journal of Medicine examined the rates of endometrial cancer for estrogen consumers, concluding that the risk was seven and a half times greater for estrogen users. Women who had used estrogen for seven years or longer were 14 times more likely to develop cancer. [Coney, Sandra, The Menopause Industry, Spinifex Press Pty Ltd., Australia, 1991, pp.164-165]
High alcohol consumption
Postmenopausal women consuming two or more alcoholic beverages a day may double their risk of endometrial cancer, suggests a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC). The study will appear in the International Journal of Cancer, and is now available online. Sept 2007.
Late menopause
Counter Indicators
Total/radical/partial hysterectomy or hysterectomy with both ovaries or hysterectomy with one ovary
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated not only with infertility but also with a higher risk for endometrial (uterine) cancer.
Increased Risk of Endometrial Cancer can lead to
Recommendations for Increased Risk of Endometrial Cancer
Maca (Lepidium meyenii)
Women with a history or risk of hormone-related cancers, such as endometrial cancer, should avoid this herb because of possible negative hormonal influences.
Alcohol Avoidance
Postmenopausal women consuming two or more alcoholic beverages a day may double their risk of endometrial cancer, suggests a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC). The study will appear in the International Journal of Cancer, and is now available online. Sept 2007.
Increased Fish Consumption
Study subjects who ate two or more servings of fish weekly had a much lower risk for esophageal, stomach, colon, rectum, and pancreatic cancers than those who avoided fish. In fact, the rates of these types of cancer were 30 to 50 percent lower among fish eaters. High fish consumption was also associated with lower risks for cancers of the larynx (30 percent lower risk), endometrial cancer (20 percent lower risk), and ovarian cancer (30 percent lower risk).
Key
| Weak or unproven link |
| Strong or generally accepted link |
| Weakly counter-indicative |
| Very strongly or absolutely counter-indicative |
| May do some good |
| Highly recommended |
| Reasonably likely to cause problems |
Glossary
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Biopsy
Excision of tissue from a living being for diagnosis.
Dilatation
Normal increase in the size of a body opening, blood vessel, or tube.
D&C
Dilation and curettage or D&C, is the scraping of the lining of the uterus (the endometrium). There are two main reasons for performing a D&C: in recently pregnant woman in order to remove tissue remaining in the womb, and as part of the investigation of heavy or irregular periods or vaginal bleeding after menopause.
Estrogen
One of the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries.
Melatonin
The only hormone secreted into the bloodstream by the pineal gland. The hormone appears to inhibit numerous endocrine functions, including the gonadotropic hormones. Research exists on the efficacy of melatonin in treating jet lag and certain sleep disorders. Dosages greater than l milligram have been associated with drowsiness, headaches, disturbances in sleep/wake cycles and is contraindicated in those who are on antidepressive medication. It also negatively influences insulin utilization.
Menopause
The cessation of menstruation (usually not official until 12 months have passed without periods), occurring at the average age of 52. As commonly used, the word denotes the time of a woman's life, usually between the ages of 45 and 54, when periods cease and any symptoms of low estrogen levels persist, including hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, loss of libido and vaginal dryness. When these early menopausal symptoms subside, a woman becomes postmenopausal.
Postmenopause
The postmenopausal phase of a woman's life begins when 12 full months have passed since the last menstrual period and any menopausal symptoms have become milder and/or less frequent.