Cancer of the uterus and uterine cancer symptoms

Uterus cancer, also called endometrial cancer or cancer of the uterine.

It is a cancer other than cervical cancer or cancer of the cervix, which we have discussed in other articles of this series of cancer symptoms.

Before entering into matter, let us avoid panic with this information:

Only 10-15% of women who have a vaginal bleeding after menopause will have such bleeding caused by a Uterus cancer.

In other words: Nine out of ten hemorrhages after menopause are not cancerous. Let's make it clear, so no one gets nervous just starting.

Now let's get into the symptoms of Uterus cancer.

If it is limited to the uterus, there may be several ways of presenting.

Let's look at them one by one.

5 Symptoms of Uterus cancer.

Symptoms of Uterus cancer, Situation 1:

Without symptoms, the gynecologist detects uterine cancer in the consult in women who do their regular checkups, sometimes their gynecologist observes on the ultrasound a thickening of the inner layer of the uterus: the endometrial.

He may even find a polyp.

They may be signs of a uterine cancer, but if they are, as it has not yet given symptoms, it has been diagnosed very early, and will usually heal.

Symptoms of Uterus cancer, Situation 2:

Vaginal bleeding in a woman after menopause The most frequent symptom of uterine cancer that has not yet spread outside it, is vaginal bleeding in a woman who has already passed menopause.

This symptom is the form of presentation of a uterine cancer in 8 out of 10 women who suffer from this tumor how is this bleeding?

The form of this bleeding usually reminds the woman of her menses, although the amount of blood lost is usually smaller, and the duration of bleeding is usually shorter.

Symptoms of Uterus cancer, Situation 3:

The woman has heaviness and dull pain in the pelvis when uterine cancer is already large, the woman may feel a sensation of occupation in the pelvis. It is a very nonspecific sensation, similar to when you have chronic constipation, or when you have an inflammatory pelvic disease.

 Symptoms of Uterus cancer, situation 4:

 Uterine cancer grows forward and compresses the bladder if the tumor grows large and forward, it can go towards the bladder. If it pushes bladder wall, there is no problem. If it infiltrates and ruptures it, blood may appear in the urine, but that only occurs in very advanced tumors. Before breaking bladder wall, uterine cancer can cause the crush of the entry of one or both tubes that carry urine from the kidneys. That is why the pressure increases in the kidney or the kidneys, and hydro nephritis occurs. If we do not realize this in time, we may lose a kidney, or both.

Symptoms of Uterus cancer, Situation 5:

Uterine cancer grows backwards and compresses the large intestine.

If uterine cancer prefers to grow backwards, as its posterior neighbors are the rectum and sigmoid colon, (the final sections of the large intestine, where stool are stored before being expelled by the anus), if the tumor "pushes" them, makes the transit of the feces more difficult, which favors the appearance of constipation.

It is very rare that the constipation of a postmenopausal woman is motivated by a uterine cancer.

But you have to be alert to other symptoms to diagnose uterine cancer as soon as possible.

What happens when the tumor escapes from the uterus, either through the lymphatic system, or through the blood?

When the tumor is already outside the uterus it may be because it has followed two different paths: The lymphatic vessels or the blood.

 Let's see where each of them leads!

When the tumor escapes from the uterus, Situation 1:

 Uterus cancer has escaped through the lymphatic vessels Uterine cancer can exit the uterus into the lymphatic chains of the pelvis.

These lymph nodes full of tumor cells usually do not cause symptoms, besides emphasizing the heaviness in the pelvis that we discussed when the uterine cancer was very large.

Very rarely, when there is a large involvement of the lymph nodes, especially on one side of the pelvis, the lymphatic fluid can be interrupted in the vessels and ganglia.

Then, these liquids will remain in the growing leg, and the leg will grow. This is called lymph edema.

When the tumor escapes from the uterus, Situation 2:

Uterine cancer has escaped through the blood when cancer cells enter the blood because they break a blood vessel close to the tumor, these cells travel throughout the body and can be established in places where, because of their special conditions, they like to stay and live.

In the case of uterine cancer the most frequent sites where metastases appear are Lungs:

When tumor cells stay within the lungs, they often make separate groups, with the appearance of multiple metastases over time.

If they override the function of the lung, they can cause shortness of breath (a symptom called dyspnea).

If they touch a respiratory tube (the bronchi), they irritate it, producing a very annoying dry cough. If they are placed near a blood vessel they can break it, spreading some blood with that cough.

The liver: When uterine cancer cells settle in the liver, they begin to grow disorderly and begin to crush their cells.

If they break them, the contents of these liver cells, which are the Trans ambiances, will be shed into the blood, increasing their levels (we detect that in a blood test).

If they compress the small channels inside the liver that transport bile, it may accumulate and the person will become yellow (a phenomenon called jaundice).

Bone: If Uterus cancer cells grow inside the bone, when the metastases becomes very large the coating that covers the bone can be broken.

This membrane, the periosteum, has a lot of sensitivity. Its breaking will cause pain. This growth compromises the strength of the bone and, especially if it is a bone that has to carry weight, it can break.

A specific case of bone metastases occurs when the vertebrae are affected.

 It can cause back pain, and even when the vertebra breaks, it can produce neurological symptoms that are included in the spinal cord compression syndrome.

As you can see, Uterus cancer can lead to many signs and symptoms.

 Let's summarize them so that they are very clear to us!

To summarize all the symptoms that Uterus cancer can produce:

In the uterus itself: The most frequent symptom is the presence of a vaginal bleeding in a woman who has already passed the menopause.

Less frequently woman can suffer: Sensation of heaviness and dull pain in the pelvis, Hydronephrosis due to crushing of a ureter, Chronic progressive constipation, if the tumor grows backwards In lymphatic drainage regions:

the most frequent situation is that it does not produce any symptoms.

Less frequently will appear:

The sensation of heaviness in the pelvis, Or a lymph edema In the rest of the body:

The most frequent symptoms are cough, hemoptysis or dyspnea if the metastases are pulmonary; Increased transaminases or jaundice, if the liver is affected;

Or bone pain or fractures, if there is bone involvement. Knowing the symptoms of Uterus cancer is very important.

Do not forget to carry out the early diagnostic tests of this tumor that your doctor prescribes you Detecting Uterus cancer as soon as possible is the best way to beat it!