If you have any symptoms of uterus cancer, they need to be checked by your doctor.
How is uterus cancer diagnosed?
If you have any uterus cancer symptoms, get checked by your doctor as soon as possible.
Your doctor may suggest several tests and scans to check for cysts, tumours or other changes.
These tests may include:
Physical examination
Your doctor checks your body. This will involve feeling your tummy from the outside and may involve looking at your vagina and cervix.
Blood tests
A blood sample is taken to check your general health.
Biopsy
A biopsy takes a small sample of the abnormal cells to check if they're cancerous. After this, you may have period-like cramps and light bleeding, which can last for a few days.
Transvaginal ultrasound
A small probe is put inside your vagina. This painless scan uses sound waves to show the inside of your pelvic area.
MRI
An MRI uses magnets and radio waves to make a detailed picture of the inside of your body.
CT scan
A CT scan creates a 3D picture of the inside of your body. It can show smaller cancers than an x-ray and enlarged lymph nodes.
PET-CT scan
A PET-CT scan uses a radioactive dye injected into your arm that will show up in areas affected by cancer. You may have to travel for this scan.
Stages of uterus cancer
Uterine cancer staging describes the cancer's size and if it has spread to other parts of your body.
If your test results show uterine cancer, the cancer will be given a stage between 1 and 4.
Staging helps your cancer treatment team recommend the best treatment for you.
| Stage | Definition |
| Stage 1A |
The cancer is only in the uterus and may have grown into the muscle wall, but no more than halfway. |
| Stage 1B | The cancer is only in the uterus and has grown halfway or more into the muscle wall. |
| Stage 2 | The cancer has spread to the cervix. |
| Stage 3A | The cancer has spread to the ovaries. |
| Stage 3B | The cancer has spread into the vagina or into the tissues surrounding the uterus. |
| Stage 3C | The cancer has spread to nearby lymph glands. |
| Stage 4A | The cancer has spread to the bowel and bladder. |
| Stage 4B | The cancer has spread to other organs that are further away, such as lungs, liver, bones or brain. |
Grades of uterus cancer
The grade of the cancer describes what the cancer cells look like compared to normal cells.
This tells the treatment team how quickly the cancer is growing and the risk that it may spread to other parts of your body.
Generally, low-grade cancers tend to grow more slowly and are less likely to spread than high-grade cancers.
Prognosis for uterine cancer
The prognosis is the likely outcome of a disease.
If the test results show uterine cancer, you may wish to speak with your treatment team about the prognosis.
The doctors will look at the type and stage of the cancer as well as your age and general health to give a prognosis, but no doctor can predict the exact outcome for you.
Treatment for uterine cancer can include surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and radiation treatm…
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