uterus
The uterus is the reproductive organ of the woman’s body. It is shaped like a hollow pear, in which the fetus grows. Womb cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide, with the exception of the United States, where women rely heavily on periodic screening to avoid the disease.
The cancer of the uterus is a cancer that does not accompanied by any feeling of pain, and is controlled by surgical operations, which work to eliminate these tumors, and through the removal from the womb of the woman, and if not cured completely, the doctor is eradicated The entire uterus.
Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells appear on the cervix and begin to grow abnormally. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus, which connects to the vagina, and can be treated successfully if detected early, and is often detected through the swab.
Symptoms of uterine cancer
Changes in abnormal or abnormal cervical cells lead to rare symptoms, but if these symptoms worsen, they develop into a cancer of the uterus. These symptoms include:
- Excessive bleeding of the vagina, such as bleeding between periods of menstruation, or after sex, or after reaching menopause.
- The pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, where many women suffer from abdominal pain from time to time, but the pain caused by uterine cancer is different, as it is from the bottom of the abdomen or the basin and the surrounding.
- Feelings of pain during intercourse, or while using condoms. The doctor tests the cervix and takes a tissue sample if bleeding occurs after sex in the patient.
- Excessive blood-stained secretions, different from the blood of the menstrual period, where they are sporadic and pink.
Causes of uterine cancer
The main cause of cervical cancer in general, and the cervix in particular, is a virus called papillomavirus, which is spread in several types, not all of which cause cancer of the uterus; some cause genital herpes, and some do not show any symptoms. The infection is transmitted when you have a sexual relationship with a pregnant person.
Many women have had HPV for many years without knowing it. This virus can remain in the body for many years, without causing symptoms, which may cause cervical cancer over the years. Therefore, a woman must perform a periodic check before the virus becomes a cancer in the womb. This test can detect any changes in the cervical cells before any cancer cells form in the cervix.
Diagnosis of uterine cancer
Cervical screening or screening should be routine, and its purpose is to detect abnormal changes in the cervical cells. Routine screening is an easy procedure, as it is the only available means to detect and treat changes in cervical cells before they become cervical cancer.
To make sure the doctor does not have cervical cancer in the woman, ask the patient about the family’s medical history of the disease, and then examine the cervical screening and pelvic examination. The doctor may need to do many other tests, so that he can assess the situation accurately, and determine the appropriate treatment.
There are necessary tests to confirm the diagnosis of cervical cancer, including:
- Examination of the vaginal endoscopy, biopsy of the cervical tissue, to detect whether there are cancerous cells on the outer surface of the lining of the cervix, and locate.
- Biopsy of the cervical or endometrial mucosa to detect the presence of cancerous cells in the cervical canal.
- Conical biopsy, and tissue dissection by means of an electric wire screw. Where a sample of cervical tissue is taken using these methods, and examined microscopically.
Biopsy and laparoscopy can also be performed across the cervical tissue of a pregnant woman to confirm the diagnosis of cervical cancer. Therefore, the examination of the cervix should be examined periodically. This test is used to detect any abnormal changes in the cervical cells, through which it shows if there is cancer in the cervix. It is most successful to prevent the emergence of cervical cancer.
Treatment of uterine cancer
When cervical cancer is detected in the early stages, the chances of recovery are greater. The patient can be able to conceive and conceive after the treatment is completed. Treatment at advanced stages depends on the removal of carcinogenic cells, leading to the inability to reproduce later. The amount of treatment required is determined by the amount of carcinogenic cells that have grown. There is a potential for merging many therapeutic approaches. There are also many ways of treatment, including:
- Radiotherapy: Radiation therapy is typical in certain stages of cervical cancer. It is often combined with surgical treatment and radiotherapy. Radiation therapy is used by high-beam waves to eliminate carcinogenic cells and reduce tumors.
- Chemical treatment: The drugs are used to kill cancer cells. These drugs are usually injected intravenously. The drug substance enters the blood and reaches anywhere containing cancerous cells in the body. Hormonal therapy is used for women in advanced stages of their uterine cancer.
- Hysterectomy: This is done in the advanced stages of the disease, if you do not find radiation or chemical treatment, and may have to remove the doctor’s ovaries, and fallopian tubes, and lymph nodes in the pelvic area; to ensure the removal of the entire carcinoma.
- Many patients feel fear and panic about the detection of cervical cancer. In such cases, it is recommended to talk to other patients who have chavin from the disease, which may improve the patient’s feeling.
Prevention of uterine cancer
A Pap smear scan is the best solution to detect any changes that may occur in cervical cells, which can cause cancer. Periodic screening ensures that these changes are detected before they become cancerous. It is therefore necessary to undergo continuous medical supervision and to receive appropriate treatment after any examination indicating the presence of abnormal cells.
Because sex is a cause of cervical cancer, the best way to prevent cervical cancer is to take precautions, such as hygiene, and to be safe through condoms.
Endometrial cancer
It is a type of cancer that begins in the womb. Endometrial cancer begins in a layer of cells that forms the lining of the uterus. Other types of cancers can occur in the uterus, including uterine swelling, but less common to uterine cancer.
Often the detection of endometrial cancer early; because women notice abnormal vaginal bleeding, which drives them to see her doctor. Women over the age of 50 are more likely to develop endometrial cancer than others.
Symptoms
Endometrial cancer is usually diagnosed through biopsy. Where the doctor takes in this test a small sample of the lining of the uterus to look for carcinogenic cells. Symptoms that should be referred immediately to the doctor if they are present, the following:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding after menopause, or vaginal bleeding between the two menstrual periods; this symptom is the most common symptom of endometrial cancer.
- A tumor in the pelvic area, which causes severe pain in this area, so the patient feels disabled when doing daily work.
- Sudden loss of weight, without resorting to a diet.
- Pain during intercourse, cancer causing swelling in the uterus changes its size and shape, which increases the friction resulting from sexual intercourse, causing severe pain.
the reasons
The main cause of most types of cervical cancer is the excessive secretion of estrogen compared to the hormone progesterone in the body. This hormonal imbalance causes thickening in the lining of the uterus. If the lining of the uterus continues to accumulate and remains this way, the cancer cells begin to grow abnormally.
There is a constant balance in our bodies in general between the amount of dead cells and the amount of new cells that grow instead, which are produced by the process of division. But when an irregular split occurs, more cells are produced, which develops into a cancerous tumor over time. Cells can spread to other organs in the body, affecting their performance. There is also a strong relationship between high estrogen levels versus progesterone and the appearance of these tumors.
There are many factors that lead to this hormonal imbalance, including:
- Hormonal therapy through estrogen : There are many women who receive hormone therapy, in order to reduce the symptoms that occur at menopause. If hormone therapy is needed, it is necessary to integrate with progesterone.
- Obesity: Estrogen is excreted in the ovaries, and is also excreted through the body’s fatty tissues. The more fatty tissue in the body, the higher the level of estrogen secretion. Women who are obese are more likely to develop uterine cancer than women who are not obese.
- The irregular menstrual cycle : The irregular menstrual cycle refers to an abnormal increase in the secretion of estrogen to progesterone; women who suffer from menstrual disorders are more likely to be infected with this disease than other women.
- Other factors not related to estrogen ; May increase the risk of infection, such as: breast cancer, cancer of the intestine or ovary, and treatment with tamoxifen.
Diagnosis
In the early stages, the doctor performs a vaginal examination, in which he detects any changes in the shape of the uterus or the presence of any lumps in it. And can perform ultrasound imaging to allow him to measure and see the thickness of the uterus. The doctor can also take a biopsy of the suspected area of the disease, which identifies the characteristics of the suspected tissue cells.
the cure
There is a need after diagnosis of endometrial cancer for further tests to diagnose the type and extent of the tumor in the uterus or the entire body. Endometrial cancer is often treated by surgery, through which hysterectomy, ovaries, uterine tubes, and lymph nodes are found in the affected area. Although it is a step with far-reaching consequences, this is the only treatment in many cases. The lymph nodes in the affected area should be examined to see if the tumor has spread, and if other treatments are needed.
In cases where the disease has spread to nearby lymph nodes, there is suspicion that the tumor has spread to other places in the body of the patient, in this case there is a need to combine radiation therapy and surgery, and treatment of hormone or chemical, through the hormone progesterone Or hormones directed to the gonads in many quantities.
Although hysterectomy is the ideal solution, hormonal therapy can be a great success for young women. This can be done in early cases of the disease. The treatment is considered to be a success in 95% of the patients; despite the fear of the presence of cancer cells mobile elsewhere.
protection
Although cervical cancer can not be prevented in most cases, some methods can reduce the risk of endometrial cancer:
- A combination of estrogen and progesterone has been received, as hormone therapy has been used after menopause.
- Take pills.