Uterine cancer or endometrial cancer

If one or more of these symptoms occur, you should immediately consult a gynecologist or oncogynecologist:

• Bleeding from the vagina after menopause.
• Intermenstrual bleeding in young women.
• Unpleasant-smelling vaginal discharge.
• Heavy and irregular periods after the age of 40.
• Pelvic pain.

Stages

• stage 1: the tumor is localized only in the body of the uterus, without going beyond its limits.
Stage 2: the tumor spreads to the cervix.
• Stage 3: the tumor passes into the pelvic cavity, lymph nodes in the pelvis or vagina.
Stage 4: the tumor spreads beyond the pelvis.

Diagnostics

Examination for suspected uterine cancer begins with an examination by a gynecologist or oncogynecologist.

A biopsy, or aspiration of the endometrium (pipel biopsy) is performed on an outpatient basis at a gynecologist's appointment. During the procedure, the doctor receives endometrial tissue for further examination in the laboratory and accurate diagnosis. Another manipulation that helps to obtain biomaterial for laboratory analysis is curettage of the uterine cavity.

When examining postmenopausal women, the ultrasound method is informative for determining the thickness of the endometrium (the inner layer of the uterus). If there is a thin inner layer of the uterus (less than 4 mm), the probability of an oncological process is minimal, but its thickening does not always mean the development of uterine cancer.

Treatment of uterine cancer

Today, all modern methods of uterine cancer treatment are available in our clinic.

Removal of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes (laparoscopically, by oral surgery, or using a last-generation robot) is necessary in almost all cases of tumor detection in elderly patients. A biopsy of the lymph nodes (pelvic and paraaortic) or their complete removal followed by analysis of the biomaterial in the laboratory is required in most cases. This makes it possible to accurately determine the stage of endometrial cancer for optimal planning of postoperative treatment, and also makes it possible to prescribe menopausal hormone replacement therapy to patients with severe menopause (under the supervision of an EMC gynecologist-endocrinologist).

Robot-assisted treatment for uterine cancer has several advantages:

• minimal blood loss and tissue injury and, as a result, a minimal recovery period.
safety: damage to the delicate nerve branches and fibers, as well as blood vessels, is excluded, all functions of the pelvic organs are preserved. the highest possible accuracy of the operation: the robot can perform the most complex operations even in those areas that remain inaccessible to the surgeon's hands.

If uterine cancer is detected in young patients (if the disease is detected at the initial stage), hormonal treatment with preservation of the uterus and ovaries is possible in complex therapy. This gives the patient a chance to have her own child in the future. The scheme of drug therapy of the initial stage of endometrial cancer with preservation of fertility in EMC includes the use of the Mirena intrauterine hormonal device.The duration of treatment in most cases is 6 months. After recovery, the patient is managed by EMC reproductologists to realize her reproductive function.

In parallel, constant monitoring by an oncogynecologist is carried out to detect a possible recurrence of the disease in a timely manner. Repeated courses of hormonal treatment with preservation of fertility are possible in the EMC, however, after the realization of the reproductive function, removal of the uterus is recommended. The issue of ovarian preservation at a young age is decided individually.

Young patients diagnosed with uterine cancer are offered additional examination at the EMC to rule out Lynch syndrome.