Is a thick endometrium the same as cancer?

Written by Zhang Xiu Rong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on September 02, 2024
00:00
00:00

Endometrial thickening is not necessarily cancerous. Causes of endometrial thickening generally include irregular hyperplasia or endometrial polyps, both of which can lead to thickening of the endometrium, but this is not necessarily indicative of cancer. Whether it is endometrial cancer is usually determined if patients with endometrial thickening do not show clear improvement after treatment with medication. Typically, a curettage procedure is performed to collect tissue for pathological examination. If the pathology report indicates endometrial cancer or precancerous lesions, then it will be reported. Therefore, endometrial thickening is not necessarily indicative of endometrial cancer, and it can occur with conditions like endometrial polyps or irregular endometrial hyperplasia. Treatment at this stage should be based on the pathological results. Thus, while endometrial thickening should be taken seriously, it is not necessarily cancerous.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
1min 2sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of endometrial cancer?

Patients with endometrial cancer mainly experience symptoms in three areas: First, obvious symptoms caused by local tumors in the uterus, such as irregular vaginal bleeding, changes in the menstrual cycle, a sense of fullness and dull pain in the lower abdomen and pelvic area, along with significant discomfort and pain. Second, clinical symptoms caused by metastatic lesions. Endometrial cancer can spread through three pathways, which after dissemination can cause a variety of symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, headache, vomiting, movement disorders, chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Some patients may also experience bone pain. Third, systemic symptoms, which are typically seen in advanced stages of endometrial cancer and commonly include cachexia, fever, and others.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
55sec home-news-image

How is endometrial cancer staged?

Endometrial cancer is a common gynecological malignancy in women. Based on surgical and pathological results, endometrial cancer can be divided into four stages. Stage I is the mildest form of endometrial cancer, where the cancer is confined only within the endometrium and does not extend beyond the uterine serosa. Generally, stage 1a is when the cancer is less than half the width of the muscle, while stage 1b is when the cancer infiltrates more than half the width of the muscle. Stage II means the cancer has locally spread but only involves the cervix, without causing cervical stromal infiltration. Stage III involves local spread to the serosa and lymph nodes. Stage IV involves distant metastasis, such as to the liver and bones.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xu Xiao Ming
Obstetrics and Gynecology
53sec home-news-image

Stage IB endometrial cancer treatment

Endometrial carcinoma Stage IB refers to tumors localized to the body of the uterus, where tumor infiltration is less than half of the myometrium. Surgical treatment is feasible for this stage and involves a slightly extensive total hysterectomy coupled with bilateral adnexectomy. During the surgery, a frozen section pathology test should be conducted. If the pathology report from the frozen section indicates special types of endometrial-like cancer, including papillary serous adenocarcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, and undifferentiated carcinoma, additional procedures are required. Moreover, if enlarged para-aortic or common iliac lymph nodes are palpated during the surgery, lymphadenectomy of the pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes should be performed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xu Xiao Ming
Obstetrics and Gynecology
47sec home-news-image

Does endometrial cancer require chemotherapy?

Whether chemotherapy is needed for endometrial cancer depends on its clinical stage. If it is advanced endometrial cancer, such as stage IV, chemotherapy is necessary for these patients. Recurrent endometrial cancer also requires chemotherapy. In the case of early-stage endometrial cancer, surgery can be used. The purpose of the surgery is to stage the pathology of the cancer to determine the extent of endometrial cancer infiltration. After the surgery, it will be assessed whether chemotherapy is needed. Therefore, whether chemotherapy is needed for endometrial cancer depends on the surgical staging. Some endometrial cancers may require not only chemotherapy but also radiotherapy treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Shun Hua
Obstetrics and Gynecology
50sec home-news-image

Is endometrial hyperplasia cancer?

Endometrial hyperplasia is not cancer; the normal endometrial lining is in a proliferative state. Endometrial hyperplasia occurs due to a lack of secretion of progesterone. If it continues to develop, it can progress to atypical endometrial hyperplasia, which is a precancerous condition of the endometrium. If not treated in time, it could develop into endometrial cancer. Thus, active treatment of endometrial hyperplasia is necessary. Large doses of progesterone can be used to promote the transformation of the endometrial lining. Once the endometrium transforms into the secretory phase, it indicates that the endometrial hyperplasia has been effectively treated and can prevent the progression to endometrial cancer.