|
The most common symptom of cancer of the uterus is abnormal vaginal bleeding, particularly if it occurs following menopause. About 90 percent of women diagnosed with uterine cancer report either postmenopausal bleeding or irregular vaginal bleeding. Although abnormal vaginal bleeding also can occur when cancer is not present, it is important to have a medical evaluation any time that abnormal vaginal bleeding occurs.
In some instances, women with cancer of the uterus have a watery, milky, vaginal discharge that may or may not be blood streaked. A physician should also evaluate this symptom because in nearly 10 percent of postmenopausal women, the discharge could be associated with cancer of the uterus.
Other symptoms that are associated with cancer of the uterus include difficult or painful urination, pain during sexual intercourse, and pain or pressure in the pelvic (lower part of the abdomen) region.
Indeed, all of these symptoms warrant a medical evaluation. However, many less serious medical conditions also can be associated with them. Benign tumors of the uterus, often referred to as fibroid tumors, can produce the same symptoms as cancer of the uterus. Likewise, certain pelvic infections may be associated with these symptoms. Nonetheless, if cancer of the uterus is present, delays in seeking medical advice may allow the disease to progress to a stage that is more difficult to treat successfully.
|
Related Articles
|
|
External Sources
 |
American Cancer Society. Can Endometrial Cancer be Found Early? 2001.
|
|
National Cancer Institute. What you need to know about cancer of the uterus. 2001. Updated 2002. NIH publication 01-1562.
|
|
Dollinger M, Rosenbaum, EH, Tempero M., et al. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy, Fourth Edition, Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2002.
|
|
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
Return to the previous page
|
)
