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Table of Contents What is screening?
General Information About Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial Cancer Screening
Risks of Endometrial Cancer Screening
Get More Information From NCI
Changes to This Summary (10/03/2008)
Questions or Comments About This Summary
About PDQ
What is screening?
Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find
cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may
be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun
to spread.
Scientists are trying to better understand which
people are more likely to get certain types of cancer. They also study the things
we do and the things around us to see if they cause cancer. This
information helps doctors recommend who should be screened for cancer, which
screening tests should be used, and how often the tests should be done.
It is important to remember that your doctor does not necessarily
think you have cancer if he or she suggests a screening test. Screening
tests are given when you have no cancer symptoms.
If a screening test result is abnormal, you may need to have more tests done to find out if you have cancer. These are called diagnostic tests.
See the following PDQ summaries for information about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of endometrial cancer:
Back to Top General Information About Endometrial Cancer
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Endometrial cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer)
cells form in the tissues of the endometrium.
The endometrium is the
innermost lining of the uterus. The uterus is
a hollow, muscular organ in a
woman's pelvis. The uterus is where a fetus grows. In most nonpregnant
women, the uterus is about 3 inches long.
Cancer of the endometrium
is different from cancer of the muscle of the uterus, which is called
uterine sarcoma. See the PDQ summary on Uterine Sarcoma
Treatment for more information.
In the United States, endometrial cancer is the most common invasive cancer of the
female reproductive system.
Endometrial cancer occurs more often in white women than in
black women. When endometrial cancer is diagnosed in black women, it is usually more advanced and less likely to be cured.
The number of new cases of endometrial cancer in the United States decreased from 1978 to 1988 and has stayed about the same since then. The number of deaths from endometrial cancer has decreased since 1974.
Health history and certain medicines can affect the risk of
developing endometrial cancer.
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease
is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. People who think they may be at risk should discuss this with their doctor. Risk factors for endometrial cancer include the
following:
Back to Top Endometrial Cancer Screening
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Tests are used to screen for different types of cancer.
Some screening tests are used because they have been shown to be helpful both in finding cancers early and decreasing the chance of dying from these cancers. Other tests are used because they have been shown to find cancer in some people; however, it has not been proven in clinical trials that use of these tests will decrease the risk of dying from cancer.
Scientists study screening tests to find those with the fewest risks and most benefits. Cancer screening trials also are meant to show whether early detection (finding cancer before it causes symptoms) decreases a person's chance of dying from the disease. For some types of cancer, finding and treating the disease at an early stage may result in a better chance of recovery.
Endometrial cancer is usually found early.
Endometrial cancer usually causes symptoms (such as vaginal bleeding) and is found at an early stage, when there is a good chance of recovery.
There is no standard or routine screening test for endometrial cancer.
Screening for endometrial cancer is under study and there are screening clinical trials taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Tests that may detect (find) endometrial cancer are being studied:
Pap test
A Pap test is a procedure to collect cells from the surface of the cervix and vagina. A piece of cotton, a brush, or a small wooden stick is used to gently scrape cells from the cervix and vagina. The cells are viewed under a microscope to find out if they are abnormal. This procedure is also called a Pap smear.
Pap tests are not used to screen for endometrial cancer; however, Pap test results sometimes show signs of an abnormal endometrium (lining of the uterus). Follow-up tests may
detect endometrial cancer.
Transvaginal ultrasound
Transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) is a procedure used to examine the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and bladder. It is also called endovaginal ultrasound. An ultrasound transducer (probe) is inserted into the vagina and used to bounce high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. The
doctor can identify tumors by looking at the sonogram. TVU is commonly
used to examine women who have abnormal vaginal bleeding. For women who have or are at risk for hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer, experts suggest yearly screening with transvaginal ultrasound, beginning as early as age 25.
Endometrial sampling
Endometrial sampling is the removal of tissue from the endometrium
by inserting a brush, curette, or thin, flexible tube through the cervix and into the uterus. The tool is used to gently scrape a small amount of tissue from the endometrium and then remove the tissue samples. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. This test is commonly
used to examine women who have abnormal vaginal bleeding.
If you have abnormal vaginal bleeding, check with your doctor.
Back to Top Risks of Endometrial Cancer Screening
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Screening tests have risks.
Decisions about screening tests can be difficult. Not all screening tests are helpful and most have risks. Before having any screening test, you may
want to discuss the test with your doctor. It is important to know the risks of
the test and whether it has been proven to reduce the risk of dying from cancer.
The risks of endometrial cancer screening tests include the
following:
Finding endometrial cancer may not improve health or help a woman live
longer.
Screening
may not improve your health or help you live longer if you have advanced endometrial cancer or if it has already spread to
other places in your body.
Some cancers never cause symptoms or become life-threatening, but if found by a screening
test, the cancer may be treated. It is not known if treatment of these cancers would help you live longer than if no treatment were given, and treatments for cancer may have serious side effects.
False-negative test results can occur.
Screening test results may appear to be normal even though endometrial cancer is
present. A woman who receives a false-negative test result (one that
shows there is no cancer when there really is) may delay seeking medical care even if she has symptoms.
False-positive test results can occur.
Screening test results may appear to be abnormal even though no
cancer is present. A false-positive test result (one that shows there is cancer when there really isn't) can cause anxiety and is usually followed by more tests (such as biopsy), which also have risks.
Side effects may be caused by the test itself.
Side effects that may be caused by screening tests for endometrial cancer include:
If you have any questions about your risk for endometrial cancer or the need for screening tests, check with your doctor.
Back to Top Get More Information From NCI
Call 1-800-4-CANCER
For more information, U.S. residents may call the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available to answer your questions.
Chat online
The NCI's LiveHelp® online chat service provides Internet users with the ability to chat online with an Information Specialist. The service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Information Specialists can help Internet users find information on NCI Web sites and answer questions about cancer.
Write to us
For more information from the NCI, please write to this address:
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Search the NCI Web site
The NCI Web site provides online access to information on cancer, clinical trials, and other Web sites and organizations that offer support and resources for cancer patients and their families. For a quick search, use our “Best Bets” search box in the upper right hand corner of each Web page. The results that are most closely related to your search term will be listed as Best Bets at the top of the list of search results.
There are also many other places to get materials and information about cancer treatment and services. Hospitals in your area may have information about local and regional agencies that have information on finances, getting to and from treatment, receiving care at home, and dealing with problems related to cancer treatment.
Find Publications
The NCI has booklets and other materials for patients, health professionals, and the public. These publications discuss types of cancer, methods of cancer treatment, coping with cancer, and clinical trials. Some publications provide information on tests for cancer, cancer causes and prevention, cancer statistics, and NCI research activities. NCI materials on these and other topics may be ordered online or printed directly from the NCI Publications Locator. These materials can also be ordered by telephone from the Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
Back to Top Changes to This Summary (10/03/2008)
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Changes were made to this summary to match those made to the health professional version.
Back to Top Questions or Comments About This Summary
If you have questions or comments about this summary, please send them to Cancer.gov through the Web site’s Contact Form. We can respond only to email messages written in English.
Back to Top About PDQ
PDQ is a comprehensive cancer database available on NCI's Web site.
PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. Most of the information contained in PDQ is available online at NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point for biomedical research.
PDQ contains cancer information summaries.
The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries are available in two versions. The health professional versions provide detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions provide current and accurate cancer information.
The PDQ cancer information summaries are developed by cancer experts and reviewed regularly.
Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related specialties are responsible for writing and maintaining the cancer information summaries. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made as new information becomes available. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") indicates the time of the most recent change.
PDQ also contains information on clinical trials.
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether a method of finding cancer earlier can help people to live longer. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients and those who are at risk for cancer. During screening clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new screening method and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new method is better than one currently being used, the new method may become "standard." People who are at high risk for a certain type of cancer may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are available online at NCI's Web site. Descriptions of the trials are available in health professional and patient versions. Many cancer doctors who take part in clinical trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
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