June 14, 2024
With more than 8,800 cases per year, endometrial cancer is relatively common. The presence of genital bleeding, even minimal, should alert you and seek medical attention. Caught in time, this cancer is one of the best curable.
Faced with abnormal bleeding, do not wait: consult immediately. This message about endometrial cancer is carried by learned societies and patient associations as part of the campaign which will be carried out on the occasion of SEPTEMBER TURQUOISE, gynecological cancer awareness month. Endometrial cancer occurs when abnormal cells develop in the thin lining that lines the inside of the uterus.
The most common gynecological cancer
This gynecological cancer may be common – 8,824 new cases per year – and affect the most intimate parts of women, but it remains largely unknown. Every year, 2,500 women die from it in France. In total, this cancer is the fourth most common in women, and its incidence is constantly increasing. The median age at diagnosis is 69 years, with a peak incidence observed between 70 and 74 years.
If, in a minority of cases, this cancer is associated with a predisposition syndrome – Lynch syndrome or HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer), the main risk factors are age, and overweight or obesity; each 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI is associated with a 54% increase in cancer risk.
Abnormal vaginal bleeding should alert
Unlike cervical cancer, there is no systematic screening program for endometrial cancer. This cancer can only be suspected when symptoms appear and the main “ is the presence of genital bleeding, even minimal, after menopause, or outside menstrual periods before menopause », Explains Professor Vincent Lavoué, head of the gynecology department at Rennes University Hospital. This should encourage you to quickly consult a gynecologist for in-depth examinations. “. This symptom is characteristic only of the early phase of the disease. When the cancer is more advanced, women may experience lower abdominal pain, severe fatigue, or weight loss.
A cancer that benefits from intense research
Less invasive surgery, molecular signature of the tumor, targeted therapies… the management of endometrial cancer benefits from the latest advances in oncology. Professor Alejandra Martinez, surgeon at IUCT-Oncopôle in Toulouse, underlines the importance of molecular characterization of tumors to target treatments: “ “this approach takes into account various factors, such as the presence of the P53 protein in 20% of patients, as well as POLE and other genetic abnormalities.” These elements play a key role in determining the prognosis and prospects for recovery.. “Depending on the extent of the disease (local or metastatic), treatments can vary from surgery alone to a multidisciplinary approach including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or even immunotherapy for advanced or metastatic cases.. »
Less and less invasive, surgery remains the preferred treatment for endometrial cancer. In 60 to 70% of cases where the cancer is localized, surgery alone is enough to cure patients.
Overall, the 5-year cure rates for endometrial cancers are encouraging: we now reach 90% for cancers detected at an early stage and 80% for stage 2 cancers.
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Source : Campaign of the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians, the Society of Gynecological and Pelvic Surgery, the French Society of Onco-Gynecology, the French Society of Oncological Surgery, the Fund for Women’s Health and the IMAGYN patient associations , Mon Réseau® Cancer Gynéco and the Lynch Syndrome France association.
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Written by : Hélène Joubert – Edited by Emmanuel Ducreuzet
