Researchers forecasted it would pinpoint approximately 66,570 new cases of uterine cancer or tumor cases in the United States in 2021, and around 12,940 patients would die from the disease. Most of the uterine cancers are epithelial-derived and develop in the endometrium (endometrial carcinoma). Mesenchymal or stromal sarcomas are abnormal cancer tumors, accounting for around 3% of all uterine cancers. Uterine sarcomas include high-grade and low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HGESS and LGESS, respectively), rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (UUS), uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) including epithelioid and myxoid variants, uterine tumor resembling ovarian sex cord tumor (UTROSCT), and perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas). 

As per the WHO, Müllerian adenosarcoma is a “biphasic neoplasm including a genial epithelial constituent and a virulent stromal component” the virulent component is generally low-grade. If we believe on a 2012 systematic review of information from 1970 to 2011, ULMS or uterine leiomyosarcoma was the most general sub-category (63%) of uterine sarcoma, accompanied by ESS (21%) and less common subtypes such as UUS. PEComas and RMS are the rarest sub-categories of uterine sarcomas.

The Latest NCCN guidelines for uterine cancer 2021 have expanded the council’s knowledge and understanding of the molecular attributes of these malignant tumors, causing the detection of genetic signatures that indicate a few of the uterine sarcoma sub-categories. Initially, mesenchymal tumors were mainly diagnosed with the help of histopathologic criteria, and the outcomes of molecular research and studies were not used in the regular pathological analysis. However, provided the overlap in histopathologic characteristics of these malignant tumors, molecular evaluation (e.g., detection of attribute mutations and translocations) may aid doctors in classifying tough cases and give insight into future therapeutic aims. In the past few years, corroborated and FDA-approved extensive genomic characterization tests have become progressively available and have aided in facilitating cancer diagnoses and strategizing targeted cancer treatment therapies. Different gene or tumor-oriented confirmatory molecular check-ups may also be helpful for these purposes. Consequently, the panel developed the Molecular Analysis section and Principles of Pathology of the Uterine Sarcoma Directions in the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Uterine Neoplasms. 

What Causes Uterine Cancer

Endometrial cancer or uterine cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the uterus. The uterus is the pear-shaped, hollow pelvic organ where the fetus develops. 

Uterine cancer develops on the surface of cells that form the lining (endometrium) of the uterus. Endometrial cancer is commonly known as uterine cancer. Other forms of tumor can develop in the uterus site, including uterine sarcoma, but they are much rarer than endometrial cancer.

Oncologists can’t tell what exactly causes endometrial or uterine cancer. All they can tell is that uterine cancer cause due to changes (mutations) in the DNA of endometrial cells— the layer of the uterus.

The mutation becomes normal, healthy tissues into unusual cells. Healthy tissues spread and multiply at a fixed rate, eventually expiring at a set time. Rare cells develop and multiply exponentially, and they don’t expire at a set time. The gathering of abnormal cells forms tumors. 

Symptoms of Uterine Cancer

Uterine cancer symptoms or endometrial cancer symptoms may include:

• Vaginal bleeding after menopause
• Pelvic pain
• Bleeding between periods

Book an appointment with the doctor Dr. Mark D’Andrea, if you encounter any continuous signs or symptoms that make you tense.

Treatment Techniques of Uterine Cancer

Surgery is the most common treatment technique for uterine cancer, which takes out the fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries. Another treatment alternative is radiation therapy with solid energy. Medicine treatments for uterine cancer include chemotherapy with effective and drugs therapy to bar hormones that cancer tissues depend on. Targeted therapy might be another alternative with drugs that invade particular feeblenesses in the cancer tissues and immunotherapy to aid your immune system beat cancer.

Surgery

Treatment for uterine cancer typically involves an operation to take out the uterus (hysterectomy) and remove the ovaries (salpingo-oophorectomy) and fallopian tubes. A uterus makes it challenging for you to conceive babies in the future. Also, after your ovaries get removed, you’ll encounter menopause if you haven’t already.

During surgery, your doctor will also check the sites surrounding your uterus to check for signs that the tumor has spread. Your doctor may also disconnect lymph nodes for testing. This helps doctors determine your cancer stage.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy utilizes intense energy beams, such as protons and X-rays to kill cancer tissues. Your surgeon may recommend you radiation therapy to minimize your chances of cancer recurrence post-surgery in a few instances. In some situations, radiation therapy may also be suggested before surgery to contract a tumor and make it convenient to take out from the body. If your body isn’t capable enough to undergo surgery, you may choose radiation therapy only.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a treatment technique that uses chemicals to destroy cancer tissues. You may get one chemotherapy medicine or two or more drugs that can be utilized in combination. You may get chemotherapy drugs in the form of pills orally or via your veins (intravenously). These powerful drugs reach your bloodstream and then run through your body, attacking and killing cancer cells.

This technique is sometimes suggested post-surgery if there’s a high chance that cancer might come back. It can also be performed prior to performing surgery to shrink the tumor so that it’s more likely to be removed entirely during surgery. Chemotherapy may be suggested for curing recurrent or advanced uterine cancer that has developed beyond the uterus.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment technique that includes taking medications to reduce the hormone amounts in the body. In counterstrike, cancer tissues that depend on hormones to aid them to prosper might die. This therapy may be an alternative if you have further stage endometrial or uterine cancer that has developed beyond the uterus.

If you are experiencing any signs & symptoms mentioned above, you better consider booking an appointment with Dr. Mark D’Andrea. Seek his consultancy and detect which kind of cancer you have. Dr. D’Andrea is affiliated with the University Cancer Center and believes in delivering the best cancer treatment.