Endometrial Cancer
By: Brandon Lopez
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease where the body's cells start to divide uncontrollably and spread into surrounding tissues. Cancer is a genetic disease, which means that it's a disease that changes our genes which control how our cells function. This is how cancer cells are dividing uncontrollably.
What are some causes of various types of cancers?
There are a lot of ways for someone to get cancer, for example exposure to radiation can mutate your genes which will give you cancer. Smoking can give you various types of cancers, like lung, throat, mouth, and kidney cancer to name a few.
How can a person tell if they have cancer?
There are a lot of ways someone can tell if they have cancer, the most noticable sign is tumors. But usually the symptoms will depend on where the cancer is. Some other signs include, weight loss, pressure on organs and blood vessels, and extreme fatigue.
What is the relationship between a cancer cell and the cell cycle?
In normal cells, the cell cycle is controlled by signals by which cells grow, it replicates it's DNA and then divide. In the process if something goes wrong with a cell, it can commit cell suicide. As with cancer a mutation interrupts the process and starts dividing uncontrollably. The mutated cell prevents it from dying, therefore spreading, and duplicating.
Colorectal Cancer
Eating a lot of junk food can give you this cancer.
Endometrial Cancer
Exposure to a lot of estrogen, increases your chance of getting this cancer.
Skin Cancer
Exposure to the sun's rays can give you cancer.
Endometrial Cancer
What is Endometrial cancer?
Endometrial cancer, is cancer of the inner lining of the Uterus. The inner lining is called Endometrium, hence the name Endometrial. Normally the lining of uterus builds up and then sheds during a menstrual period, But when the endometrium builds up and has not shed the lining becomes thick and this is the stage where the cancer cells grow uncontrollably.
Diagnosis for Endometrial cancer
Typically women will visit a doctor after symptoms, as women don't get screened. There are several ways the doctor can diagnose you like ultrasound, where the doctor will look at your uterus, ovaries, and Fallopian tubes. For a more accurate test a doctor will perform Endometrial biopsy, where the doctor will insert a thin flexible tube through the uterus, and then with suction will take out a very small amount of Endometrium tissue.
What are some symptoms for Endometrial cancer?
There aren't many symptoms that come with Endometrial cancer, but some common symptoms are, Pelvic pain, Vaginal bleeding after menopause, and Weight loss. Endometrial cancer commonly affects women between the ages of 40-60.
Can Endometrial cancer spread?
Endometrial cancer can spread to the cervix if it is not treated early. It can also spread to lymph nodes.
Can Endometrial cancer be prevented?
Unfortunately, it cannot be prevented. There some things you could do to lower your risk of getting Endometrial cancer, like being active and physical. If you do happen to get Endometrial cancer, you can take one of the four treatments; Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation therapy, or Hormonal therapy. Chemotherapy essentially kills the cancer cells. If the women chooses surgery, doctors will remove the uterus.
Latest research on Endometrial cancer
Recent research has found that PTEN, a gene responsible for stopping tumor growth is abnormal in Endometrial cancer. Researchers are also examining new drugs that target gene and protein changes in cancer cells, this is called targeted-therapy. If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, researchers have found that having surgery done on these nodes to remove cancer cells would help against the fight.