Uterine (endometrial) cancer affects the uterus, a hollow, pear-shaped organ in your pelvis in which a fetus grows after conception. Most cancers of this type begin in the lining of the uterus, which is called the endometrium. There are four different types of endometrial uterine cancer.
- Endometrioid adenocarcinoma forms in the glandular cells of the uterine lining and accounts for as much as 75 percent of all uterine cancers.
- Serous adenocarcinoma is more likely to spread to lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
- Adenosquamous carcinoma is a rare form of uterine cancer that has elements of both adenocarcinoma and carcinoma of the squamous cells that line the outer surface of the uterus.
- Carcinosarcoma is a rare form of uterine cancer that was previously thought to be a type of uterine sarcoma (see below). It has elements of both adenocarcinoma and sarcoma.
A rare type: uterine sarcoma
A rare form of uterine cancer is called uterine sarcoma. It develops within the uterine wall muscles or supporting tissues. There are seven types, each of which differs in the way it develops and changes, as well as how it should be treated. These are:
| leiomyosarcoma | carcinosarcoma | low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma |
| high-grade undifferentiated sarcoma | adenosarcoma | adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth |
| perivascular endothelial cell tumor (PEComa) |
Treatment Options for Uterine Cancer
- Hysterectomy is a procedure in which the fallopian tubes and ovaries are removed along with the uterus. The common approach to this surgery — total abdominal hysterectomy — can be done by traditional means or through a minimally invasive strategy. It is also referred to as a total hysterectomy bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy or TH/BSO.
- Minimally invasive laparoscopy can be used to remove the uterus and other tissues through the vagina using very small incisions in the abdomen. Our surgeon uses a laparoscope—a thin, lighted tube with a video camera at its tip—which projects an image onto a large viewing screen. Guided by the laparoscope, our surgeon operates through tiny surgical “ports” (small tubes placed into the abdomen) using specially designed instruments to remove your uterus through the vagina.
- Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery using the da Vinci® Surgical System for staging and treatment offers our surgeons increased depth perception, magnification and the ability to use different instrumentation than in laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery. There are also significant benefits over traditional surgery, including faster recovery, fewer wound complications and less postoperative pain.
- Pelvic exenteration is a radical surgery to remove all of the reproductive organs and in some cases, the bladder, urethra and rectum. It can be followed by surgery to reconstruct some organs.
- Options for women who are obese can combine a hysterectomy and staging with a reconstructive procedure known as panniculectomy. It involves removing excess skin and underlying fat in the abdominal area.