Uterine Cancer
What is Uterine Cancer?
Uterine Cancer, commonly referred to as Endometrial cancer, is a cancer that starts in the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus (womb).
Causes
High levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, may lead to an increase in mass and number of the uterine lining cells, if there is not enough progesterone to balance the estrogen. In the female reproductive system, the ovaries produce two key female hormones — estrogen and progesterone. The balance between these two hormones changes each month, with estrogen, in the first 2 weeks of the cycle, helping the endometrium thicken, and progesterone in the last 2 weeks of the cycle in case pregnancy occurs or shed tissue if it doesn't.
When the balance of these two hormones shifts toward more estrogen — which stimulates growth of the endometrium — a woman's risk of developing endometrial cancer increases. When there is too much estrogen in the body, progesterone can't do its job. The endometrium gets thicker and thicker. If the endometrium builds up and stays that way, cancer cells can start to grow.
High estrogen levels without enough progesterone can be found in some diseases or conditions like: long term anovulation, obesity, excessive long term estrogen intake, tumors producing estrogen, thyroid malfunctions and liver diseases.
Read more about Hormones and Estrogen Dominance here
Treatment
Surgery is the most common treatment for endometrial cancer. Most doctors recommend either the surgical removal of the uterus alone (hysterectomy) or, more likely, the surgical removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries (hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). Lymph nodes in the area should also be removed during surgery along with other tissue samples
Radiation therapy involves the use of high-dose X-rays to kill cancer cells.
Hormone therapy. Use of natural progesterone may help decrease estrogen and balance hormones safely.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. In some cases, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy for endometrial cancer.
Prevention
Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may help prevent endometrial cancer.
The following risk factors may increase the risk of endometrial cancer:
1. Estrogen - when not properly balanced by progesterone, too much estrogen in the body over-stimulates the cells in the endometrium (uterine lining), which can lead to cancer. Estrogen replacement therapy, while often used to lessen symptoms of menopause and osteoporosis and reduce the risk of heart disease, can cause an unhealthy surplus of estrogen in the body. Exposure to Xenoestrogens — synthetic compounds found in some pesticides, plastics and lotions — can also trigger excess estrogen levels.
2. Tamoxifen – a drug used in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer, Tamoxifen inhibits the body's natural estrogen from stimulating certain types of cancer cells in the breast. However, Tamoxifen acts like estrogen in other parts of the body, which means it also has the potential to cause overproduction of endometrial cells in the uterus.
3. Inherited risk – heredity can often play an important part in cancer development. Women whose grandmothers, mothers or sisters have uterine cancer are usually considered at greater risk of developing the disease themselves.
4. Polycycstic ovary syndrome – PCOS is characterized by multiple cysts in the ovaries, and is thought to be caused by an imbalance of insulin and/or male hormones (androgens). The cysts are actually eggs that haven't matured enough to complete the cycle of ovulation. Without regular ovulation and menstruation, the endometrium grows continuously, creating the risk of cancer.
5. Body fat – fat cells have been shown to convert some of the body's other hormones into estrogen. The more fatty tissue in the body, the higher the estrogen levels are likely to be. This, again, stimulates excessive cell growth in the endometrium and can lead to cancer.
The following protective factors may decrease the risk of endometrial cancer:
1. Natural, bioidentical progesterone cream – supplements of progesterone can help keep hormones in balance and prevent estrogen dominance. Natural progesterone cream is derived from either soybeans or wild yams, and is bioidentical to the progesterone produced by the body—it has the exact same molecular structure. This makes it easy for the body to incorporate. It's important to understand that natural progesterone cream is not the same as progestin. Progestins closely resemble progesterone at the molecular level, but are ultimately synthetic compounds that are patented and manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. Progestins are not bioidentical, are metabolized differently by the body, and have been shown to cause uncomfortable and potentially dangerous side effects.
2. Pregnancy and breast-feeding – women's bodies create and sustain higher progesterone levels during these times. This helps prevent the body from becoming estrogen-dominant.
3. Physical activity & diet – as explained above, fat cells can convert other hormones into estrogen, causing estrogen-dominance and, potentially, cancer. Exercise that includes both cardio and muscle-building elements in addition to a diet of nutritious, low-fat foods will help keep hormones in balance and work to prevent estrogen dominance.
*Referenced:
Mayo Clinic.com; Cancer section. National Institute of Health; Medline Plus.
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