What are the treatment options for endometrial cancer?
Surgery and/or radiotherapy are the main treatments used for endometrial cancer. Hormone treatment or chemotherapy are also used in some circumstances. The treatment advised for each case depends on various factors such as the stage of the cancer (how large the cancer is and whether it has spread), and your general health.
You should have a full discussion with a specialist who knows your case. They will be able to give the pros and cons, likely success rate, possible side-effects, and other details about the various possible treatment options for your type of cancer. You should also discuss with your specialist the aims of treatment. For example:
Surgery
An operation to remove the uterus (hysterectomy) and ovaries is a common treatment. If the cancer is at an early stage and has not spread, then surgery alone can be curative. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, surgery may still be advised, often in addition to other treatments. Even if the cancer is advanced and a cure is not possible, some surgical techniques may still have a place to ease symptoms. For example, to relieve a blockage of the bowel or urinary tract which has been caused by the spread of the cancer.医学全.在线网.站.提供
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation which are focussed on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. (There is a separate leaflet which gives more details about radiotherapy.) Radiotherapy alone can be curative for early stage endometrial cancer and may be an alternative to surgery. In some cases radiotherapy may be advised in addition to surgery.
Even if the cancer is advanced and a cure is not possible, radiotherapy may still have a place to ease symptoms. For example, radiotherapy may be used to shrink secondary tumours which have developed in other parts of the body and are causing pain.
Hormone treatments
Normal cells in the endometrium are responsive to the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. In some cases of endometrial cancer, taking progesterone slows down the growth of the cancer cells. This treatment is considered more often in cases where the cancer has spread from the uterus to other parts of the body.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. See separate leaflet called chemotherapy for more details. Chemotherapy is not a standard treatment for endometrial cancer but may be given in certain situations (usually in addition to radiotherapy or surgery).
What is the prognosis (outlook)?
There is a good chance of a cure if endometrial cancer is diagnosed and treated when the disease is at an early stage (confined to the uterus and has not spread). Many cases are diagnosed at an early stage because abnormal vaginal bleeding often develops at an early stage of the disease and alerts women (and their doctors) to the possibility of cancer. For women who are diagnosed when the cancer has already spread, a cure is less likely but still possible. Even if a cure is not possible, treatment can often slow down the progression of the cancer.
The treatment of cancer is a developing area of medicine. New treatments continue to be developed and the information on outlook above is very general. The specialist who knows your case can give more accurate information about your particular outlook, and how well your type and stage of cancer is likely to respond to treatment.
