MY LIFE Matters - Advocacy in Action - 28

Use Your Voice ADVOCATING FOR ENDOMETRIAL CANCER
WHAT IS ENDOMETRIAL CANCER?
Endometrial cancer starts in the lining of the uterus. Although it is usually
diagnosed after menopause, younger women can be at risk too. In the United
States, rates of endometrial cancer are increasing. More than 66,000 women are
expected to develop endometrial cancer this year.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF
ENDOMETRIAL CANCER? HOW DO
YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT?
ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO RELIABLE EARLY DETECTION
FOR ENDOMETRIAL CANCER, IT CAN CAUSE SYMPTOMS
THAT ALLOW WOMEN TO SPOT IT EARLY.
The most common signs of endometrial cancer are:
* unusual vaginal bleeding, especially after menopause
* pelvic or abdominal pain
* bloating
* abdominal distension
* difficulty eating
* increased urinary frequency or urgency
* pain during sex
Many people are unaware that these symptoms may indicate
cancer, and that abnormal bleeding may occur in the
years leading to menopause. Because endometrial cancer
symptoms may go unnoticed or unreported, thereby allowing
a cancer to grow, every woman should be aware of and
report symptoms to their doctor. Be persistent. Ultrasound
and other tests can help doctors determine whether your
symptoms may be caused by cancer.
WHO IS AT RISK?
ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCERS MAY
BE CAUSED BY AN INHERITED MUTATION. PEOPLE WITH
A PERSONAL OR FAMILY HISTORY OF ENDOMETRIAL OR
COLORECTAL CANCER MAY BENEFIT FROM GENETIC
TESTING FOR AN INHERITED MUTATION.
Like breast cancer, endometrial cancer can run in families,
and certain inherited mutations are linked to a very high risk
for endometrial cancer. About one in every 300 people in the
U.S. has Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition caused by a
mutation in one of five different genes: EPCAM, MLH1, MSH2,
MSH6, and PMS2. In addition to being very high risk for endometrial
and colorectal cancers, people with Lynch syndrome
have an increased risk for several other cancers, including
pancreatic cancer. For this reason, people with endometrial
cancer may benefit from genetic testing for an inherited mutation.
Other gene mutations have also been linked to endometrial
cancer. Women with a mutation in BRCA1 may have a
slightly increased risk for a rare but aggressive type of endometrial
cancer. People with Cowden's syndrome, which is caused
by an inherited mutation in the PTEN gene, are at increased
risk for breast, endometrial, and other cancers.
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MY LIFE MATTERS
ADVOCACY IN ACTION | FALL 2023
Although genetic testing is important for people with endometrial
cancer and those with a family history of cancers
associated with Lynch syndrome, most endometrial cancer
is not hereditary. Other factors that increase the risk for
endometrial cancer include:
* being overweight
* having type 2 diabetes (possibly because of the link to
weight)
* never being pregnant
* infertility
* taking estrogen without progesterone for an extended
period
* a diet high in animal fat
* a history of radiation therapy to the pelvis
* tamoxifen use (slightly increases risk)
HEALTH DISPARITIES IN ENDOMETRIAL
CANCER
AS WITH BREAST CANCER, SOME GROUPS OF
PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH
ENDOMETRIAL CANCER, HAVE A MORE AGGRESSIVE
DISEASE, OR A WORSE OUTCOME THAN OTHERS. THESE
DIFFERENCES ARE KNOWN AS HEALTH DISPARITIES.
Doctors once thought that Black women were less likely than
white women to develop endometrial cancer. However, recent
research shows the opposite is true: it is more common and
more likely to be found at a later stage in Black women. This
shift in awareness comes as new studies focus on the incidence
among women who have not had hysterectomies, a procedure
that is more common among Black women.
Like breast cancer, endometrial
cancer risk is prevalent and
increasing. That's why it's important to
spread awareness of endometrial cancer
to the breast cancer community. As my
experience shows, surviving one cancer
diagnosis does not protect you
from a second or third diagnosis.
https://www.facingourrisk.org/portal/people-with-lynch-syndrome
MY LIFE Matters - Advocacy in Action

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