What is Endometrial cancer ?
Endometrial cancer arises from the inner lining of the uterus (Endometrium) or overstimulation with estrogen (patients who are overweight and are on oral estrogen supplements) can cause unregulated growth of the endometrium. This can lead to abnormal thickening of the inner lining of the uterus (Hyperplasia), irregular with hormonal changes which is a pre-cursor to endometrial cancer. There is a genetic factor either in mother and daughter.
What should I look for ?
Some symptoms of Endometrial cancer include irregular, unusual, or heavy vaginal bleeding, bleeding or spotting after menopause, pain during sexual intercourse, pain while urinating, lower abdominal pain. While these symptoms are common to other conditions, it is important to seek your doctor’s opinion, especially if it is bleeding after menopause & vaginal discharge may be foul smelling.
What are the risk factors ?
Some patients are genetically predisposed to endometrial cancer. However, increased exposure to un- opposed estrogen increases and hormonal imbalance are the risk of endometrial cancer. This can happen due to Obesity, Nulliparity (women who never gave birth), early onset of menstrual cycle or late menopause, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Estrogen supplements. In diabetic patients the rate of endometrial cancer is high.
What is the diagnosis ?
Doctors usually recommend a Dilation and Curettage (D&C) of endometrial by hysteroscopic method and sending histopathology biopsy for confirmation.
How is it treated ?
Technological advances have simplified the treatment of Endometrial cancer for both patients and doctors. Robot-assisted laparoscopy has shrunk the incision size drastically and reduced the complexity of the treatment. As a result, patients go home the very next day and resume normal life within two weeks.
Is Robotic Surgery an option and why ?
It is a better option than open or laparoscopic surgical removal, as precision is accurate and the magnification is doubled and removal is total.