Uterine Cancer Risk Factors

Understanding Uterine Cancer Risk

Doctors have found that certain factors place some women at a higher risk for uterine cancer. Imbalances in the levels of estrogen are related to many of these risk factors because of the role the hormone plays in the growth of the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus). Therefore, high levels of estrogen may make some women more susceptible to uterine cancers.

There are different kinds of uterine cancer. If the cancer develops in the lining of the uterus, it may be referred to as endometrial cancer. Uterine sarcoma is a rare form of cancer that affects the muscle and connective tissues of the uterus.

Uterine Cancer Risk Factors

There is little known about what may cause uterine sarcoma and the risk factors are few. There are, however, several known endometrial cancer risk factors, including:

• Age - Women over 55 have an increased risk of endometrial cancer.
• Late onset of menopause - Older women whose symptoms of menopause are delayed or show up much later than what is normal often have an increased uterine cancer risk.
• Never becoming pregnant - Researchers are still investigating why pregnancy seems to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. Irregular menstrual cycles and infertility may be related to imbalances in estrogen and progesterone levels, and this hormone imbalance may also increase the risk for cancer.
• Obesity - Fat tissues tend to produce higher levels of estrogen, particularly after menopause, which places older, overweight women at greater risk for uterine cancers.
• Diabetes - Endometrial cancer is more prevalent in women with diabetes. Doctors think this may have to do with the higher obesity rates found in type 2 diabetes patients.
• Estrogen replacement therapy - Doctors have found that estrogen stimulates the growth of the endometrium. Replacing estrogen after menopause may increase uterine cancer risk.
• Tamoxifen - Often used to block estrogen, this drug may also cause the endometrium to grow, increasing a woman's uterine cancer risk.

Uterine Sarcomas

Uterine sarcomas are much less common than endometrial carcinomas, and there are fewer known risk factors. For reasons not well understood, African American women are twice as likely as Caucasian or Asian women to develop a uterine sarcoma. Not much is known, however, about how race plays a role in aiding cancer's development in the muscles and/or connective tissue of the uterus.

In addition to race, doctors have also found that pelvic radiation therapy increases a woman's risk for a uterine sarcoma. Radiation is commonly used to treat other forms of cancer, but radiation treatments to the pelvic region may increase the likelihood of a uterine sarcoma developing anywhere from five to 25 years after the initial exposure.

However, it is important to weigh the benefits of radiation treatments over the risks. Radiation treatment does not necessarily cause uterine sarcomas but may put an individual at an increased risk for the disease because of the damage to the DNA cells during the treatment.

Women could have several or none of these established uterine cancer risk factors and still develop a uterine sarcoma or endometrial carcinoma. This is why women should undergo regular gynecological exams and discuss any known uterine cancer risk factors with their doctor. Also, women should consider all of the risks associated with taking Hormone Replacement Therapies (HRT), a common treatment for menopause symptoms.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Results from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) have changed how doctors think about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). These treatments are used to reduce symptoms caused by menopause, a condition where an older woman's ovaries stop releasing eggs, which in turn reduces the amount of estrogen produced by the body.

The WHI study found that commonly prescribe synthetic progesterone, called progestin, may cause certain health problems. Many doctors, however, still prescribe progestin with estrogen to help protect the endometrial lining in women with an intact uterus who are experiencing hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. This has largely to do with results from another study that found one out of every nine women developed a pre-cancerous endometrial condition called atypical hyperplasia when given an estrogen-only therapy.

Women without a uterus are not at risk for endometrial cancer. Therefore, as a result of these studies, most doctors recommend an estrogen-only therapy unless you have an intact uterus.

Your gynecologist can help weigh the risks and benefits associated with any hormone replacement therapy. Understanding all of the involved risks with any of these treatments, along with regular Pap testing and pelvic examinations, may help reduce your overall uterine cancer risk.

NOTE: Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer. Not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. If you think you may be at risk, you should discuss it with your doctor.

Next Topic: Uterine Cancer Symptoms