Cancer of the uterus: causes, symptoms, treatment. Cancer of the uterus: life expectancy

To my great regret, the number of oncological diseases is growing every year. In women, one of the leading places is cancer of the uterus. Life expectancy has now increased, with the female half of the population having a longer period of menopause, which is why doctors associate the increase in morbidity. The risk group includes women 40-60 years old.

What is cancer of the uterus

Uterus in women, like any other organ, has a three-layer structure. Internal - epithelial tissue, medium - smooth muscle and outer - connective. In the course of the development of the disease, a tumor forms on the walls of the uterus, and then, if treatment measures are not taken, it will spread throughout the body.

Because of the multi-layered structure of the uterus, the tumor can be of various types and differs in its localization.

Causes of the disease

Doctors came to the conclusion that, to a greater extent, the cancer of the body of the uterus begins to develop, if this body has been repeatedly exposed to many factors, among which I especially want to highlight the following:

1. Frequent abortions and ruptures during childbirth.
2. Inflammatory processes, especially chronic.
3. Dystrophic and degenerative changes in epithelial tissue that can occur as a result of hormonal effects.
4. Hereditary predisposition.
5. The presence of human papillomavirus or genital herpes in the body.
6. Long-term use of hormonal contraceptives.
7. Early onset of sexual activity, that is, up to 18 years.
8. Having a large number of sexual partners.
9. The presence of bad habits, especially smoking.
10. Non-compliance with personal hygiene.

Despite the fact that there are many reasons that can cause cancer of the uterus, the life expectancy with such a diagnosis will depend on many factors. If you turn to a doctor in time, then you can cope with this disease.

Diagnosis of the disease

The setting of any diagnosis begins with a conversation between the doctor and the patient. A woman must necessarily examine the gynecologist, without a thorough examination of any treatment and diagnosis of speech can not go.

The examination begins with an examination of the vagina, cervix with the help of gynecological mirrors. In the presence of the disease, it is usually possible to detect changes in tissues. Often, during the examination, a small bleeding may begin, as the tumor traumatizes.

If required, they can prescribe a test through the rectum to determine how much cancer cells have affected the pelvic wall.

In order to identify a cancerous tumor at an early stage, it is necessary to perform a smear analysis and to make a biopsy. If there is a suspicion of cancer of the cervical canal, then scraping is carried out and sent for histological examination.

All these manipulations can be carried out with all the necessary equipment. It often happens that the cancer at the initial stage is not recognized due to incomplete examination. With the development of ultrasound diagnosis, this method has also been used to detect cancerous tumors.

Since the development of cancer is a lesion of the lymph nodes, the appointment is also X-ray. In some cases, MRI, CT is prescribed.

All examinations are very important for establishing the correct diagnosis and prescribing adequate treatment, because if a woman has uterine cancer, life expectancy will depend on the effectiveness of the therapy.

A timely visit to the doctor will identify the disease at an early stage. This guarantees a high percentage of recovery.

Cancer of the uterus: symptoms and signs

Women throughout their lives need to more closely monitor their health, and after 40 years, especially because it is at this age increases the risk of cancer. Eae and all diseases, has cancer of the uterus, symptoms and signs, so it is necessary to pay attention to all deviations from the norm in the work of the body. The whole trouble is that we do not rush to run to the hospital, as soon as we notice suspicious symptoms. It is a pity that not only the quality of our life depends on it, but also its duration.

The majority of oncological diseases are dangerous and that they start showing their signs only at later stages, so it often happens that when a person seeks help, there is nothing to help him.

It turns out that the cancer of the uterus body manifests itself in different ways in different periods of a woman's life. We will try to understand this.

Signs before menopause

If a woman is not yet at the stage of menopause, then the following manifestations of the disease can be diagnosed:

• Periodic spotting from the vagina.
• Monthly become less and less, then, on the contrary, they can come more often and abundantly.
• Pain sensations in the lower abdomen.

• Drawing pain in the lower back.
• Pain during sexual intercourse.
• Purulent discharge from the vagina.
• Frequent urge to urinate.

Symptoms during menopause

When a woman is in the period of menopause, then the month is completely stopped. At this time, the following symptoms should alert you:

• Any spotting.
• Sudden bleeding from the vagina.
• Drawing pain in the perineal region.
• Fast fatiguability.
• Weight loss for no apparent reason.

If you find any of these symptoms in your body, then you should not expect that everything will go away by itself. This is quite an insidious disease - cancer of the uterus, photos confirm this.

There is cancer of the uterus in pregnant women, but this is rare. This is quite dangerous for a woman's life. In this case, if the diagnosis of "cancer of the uterus" is confirmed, the operation is unavoidable. I'll have to stop the pregnancy and start treatment.

Stages of development of cancer of the uterus

Most often, any disease passes through certain stages, it can be said about a malignant tumor in the uterus. Oncologists distinguish such stages of cancer of the uterus:

1. Zero. At this time, it is already possible to diagnose endometrial hyperplasia, which necessarily leads to the development of malignant formation. It's only a matter of time, how quickly this will happen.
2. The first stage. The tumor develops only in the body of the uterus itself, but localization can be different:

• Cancer cells affect only the epithelial layer of cells.
• The tumor begins to penetrate the muscle layer.
• Carcinoma sprouts half the myometrium.

3. The second stage. Cancer begins to affect the cervix, but does not go beyond the body. But there are also varieties:

• The process involves only the glands of the cervix.
• The tumor affects the stroma of the cervix.

4. The third stage of the disease. Already goes beyond the body of the cancer of the uterus, photos confirm this, but again there are their divisions:

• Carcioma damages the serous membrane of the uterus and can pass to the ovaries.
• There are metastases in the vagina.
• There are metastases in the nearby lymph nodes.

5. The fourth stage is the most serious. The tumor affects already the bladder, rectum. There are metastases outside the small pelvis.

With the diagnosis of "cancer of the uterus" degree also are different. This affects the prognosis of the course of the disease:

1. High degree of differentiation.
2. Moderate.
3. Low.

Doctors note that the greater the degree of differentiation, the better the prognosis. Tumors with a low degree quickly metastasize and are characterized by increased growth.

If you are diagnosed with "cancer of the uterus," life expectancy will depend on the stage and extent of the disease.

Cervical cancer

Malignant tumor can begin its development not only in the uterine cavity, but also in the cervix, then they speak of cervical cancer. This disease also has its stages of development:

1. The first stage. The tumor develops only in the cervix.
2. The second. Has its own development options:

• Penetration into the parameters without transition to the pelvic wall.
• Vaginal variant, when the tumor touches its walls.
• The tumor develops endocervical. It can even affect the body of the uterus.

3. The third stage is also characterized by the presence of three options:

• There is infiltration of the wall of the small pelvis from one or two sides.
• When the vaginal version of the tumor passes into the lower part of the vagina.
• Pelvic metastases appear.

4. The fourth stage. The following development options can be distinguished:

• The tumor passes to the bladder.
• Cancer cells affect the rectum.
• The tumor extends beyond the pelvic floor.

Different types of stages and variants of tumor development help doctors to give a clear idea of the methods of treatment and its effectiveness.

Treatment of cancer of the uterus

At present, if we take into account the level of development of medicine, we can say that the majority of oncological diseases are not a death sentence for the patient. But this is only if the person in a timely manner applies for medical help.

Treatment of malignant tumors is performed taking into account the stage of the disease, its localization. Most often, the main methods are:

1. Surgical intervention. Sometimes it is enough to remove the tumor at an early stage - and the woman is practically healthy.
2. The use of radiotherapy. Subject to irradiation of the pelvic area and the location of the presence of metastases. Use this method usually before and after the operation. It reduces the likelihood of relapse.
3. Chemotherapy. It allows not only to restrain tumor development, but also to significantly reduce the activity of cancer cells. Despite new methods of treatment, chemotherapy does not lose its relevance.
4. Hormonal treatment. The use of synthetic progestogens increases the effectiveness of treatment.

If the treatment is started on time, then it is very likely that you will be able to defeat the cervical cancer, the photos show well the full life of women after the operation.

In the case when a woman seeks medical help too late, the percentage of successful treatment is significantly reduced.

Prevention of disease

Only if you regularly visit a gynecologist and undergo an annual physical examination, then you can be sure that the cancer will be detected at an early stage.

As soon as a woman begins to live sexually, she should make herself a rule to visit the gynecologist every year. Regular examination, examination of the smear, ultrasound of the pelvic organs can detect precancerous conditions. If they are treated in time, then it is possible to prevent the development of tumors.

So you can prevent cervical cancer. The photos confirm that it is quite easy to identify such pathologies if you regularly undergo an examination. Independently it is impossible to recognize the disease and correctly prescribe drugs, this should be done only by the doctor.

Most often, if inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs are not treated, then in time they can easily develop into cancer. Our health is only in our hands, and nobody except us will take care of it.

Effectiveness of treatment

The effectiveness of treatment of cancer tumors can be judged by repeated cases of the onset of the disease. Usually relapse occurs within the first three years after therapy. At many at the diagnosis "a cervical cancer" after operation the vital activity of an organism is normalized, the woman is restored and comes back to a habitual way of life.
If after the operation more than three years have passed and you are all right, then it is possible with great certainty to ensure that a relapse is unlikely.

Prognosis for uterine cancer

Give a 100% guarantee that after the treatment, the tumor will not bother you anymore, much to your regret, it is impossible. If the disease is detected at the first stages of its development, then about 90% of the patients recover almost completely.

Given that the quality of the medical examination has now improved, much work is underway to detect the disease early, it can be ensured that the survival rate for cancer detection will increase.

Even if you have a third and fourth stage of uterine cancer, life expectancy under condition of competent treatment essentially increases. Survival can be improved by combining radiotherapy with chemotherapy.

If a woman seeks medical help, when metastases capture not only the uterus or neck, but also neighboring organs, the prognosis is not very comforting. In this case, it is much more difficult to work on cancer cells.

We can conclude that only on ourselves depends the quality and duration of our lives. Do not be afraid to go to polyclinics, a timely detected illness is treated much faster and more efficiently.