Article: Signs of endometrial cancer: Six survivor stories

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Most relevant for: Women who want to learn more about the signs of or are at risk for endometrial cancer..

It may also be relevant for:

• people with endometrial cancer
• healthy people with average cancer risk
• people with a family history of cancer
• people with a genetic mutation linked to cancer risk

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Quality of Writing: High

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What is this article about?

Endometrial cancer, also called uterine cancer  is a cancer that starts in the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. Endometrial cancers can spread beyond the endometrium, most commonly to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix and lymph nodes. Risk factors for endometrial cancer include an increased level of estrogen, age, obesity and certain gene mutations that increase the chance of developing this cancer.

The six women interviewed in this article differ in age and stage of their lives, but most described that they experienced something abnormal about their menstrual cycle that required further investigation. The article includes descriptions of the symptoms they experienced and how they were first diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

Unexplained bleeding is the most common symptom of endometrial cancer
One of the most frequent symptoms of endometrial cancer is abnormal uterine bleeding. Most commonly this is bleeding after menopause. For younger women this can be bleeding between menstrual cycles or heavy bleeding with menses. Maria had not had a period for 10 years, while Kirsten had not had a period in 10 months. Both then experienced bleeding, which led to diagnoses of endometrial cancer.

Larissa Meyer, M.D. mentions, “While not all postmenopausal bleeding is due to cancer, 90 percent of women with postmenopausal endometrial cancer experienced abnormal vaginal bleeding. So, it certainly warrants taking a sample of endometrial tissue, which often can be be performed as a simple, in-office procedure.”

Unexplained bleeding may be hard to recognize
While less common, some women may develop endometrial cancer before menopause. Becky was diagnosed at 39. She explained that she never had normal periods. Then they became even more irregular with bleeding between periods.  

Tralisa had an experience similar to Becky's. She had irregular periods her whole life because of endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). When the bleeding worsened, she thought it was because she was getting older. Like Becky, Tralisa was also diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

Infertility due to PCOS, endometriosis or other causes is also linked to increased risk of endometrial cancer. Callie, who had a family history of ovarian cysts, had been trying to get pregnant for years.  Her gynecologist urged her to see a fertility specialist; she was later diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

Other signs of endometrial cancer
Not everyone with abnormal vaginal bleeding will be diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Other signs of endometrial cancer include:

• pelvic pain 
• unexplained weight loss 
• abnormal vaginal discharge  

Moina experienced abnormal vaginal discharge for about three months before she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer at age 65. She said, “I had an unpleasant vaginal discharge. It wasn’t bloody, but it was very foul-smelling.” 

Endometrial cancer risk
Anyone with a uterus is at risk for endometrial cancer.

The average woman’s lifetime risk for endometrial cancer is about three percent. That risk is increased for women with an inherited mutation in the following genes:

• Lynch syndrome (due to an inherited mutation in MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, MSH6 or EPCAM)
• PTEN
• STK11
• TP53
• possibly BRCA1 (for certain rare forms of lifetime endometrial cancer risk increases from 3 percent to 5 percent)

Endometrial cancer risks differ by gene. More information on genes linked to endometrial cancer risk can be found here.