Endometrial cancer, also known as cancer of the uterus, is the most common type of gynaecological cancer. It arises from the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, and in the majority of cases is diagnosed at an early stage.
Early diagnosis and appropriate surgical management play a crucial role both in the treatment of the disease and in long-term prognosis.
The most characteristic symptom is:
Other possible symptoms include:
Any vaginal bleeding after the menopause requires immediate medical assessment, as it represents the most common warning sign.
Diagnosis is based on a combination of investigations:
The aim is not only to confirm the diagnosis, but also to determine disease staging, that is, the precise extent of the cancer, in order to select the most appropriate treatment.
Surgical treatment represents the mainstay of management in the majority of cases.
Surgery usually includes:
In selected cases of advanced or metastatic disease, more extensive surgical procedures may be required, with the aim of achieving maximal disease removal and optimising oncological outcome.
When appropriate, surgery may be performed using minimally invasive techniques, such as:
The advantages include:
The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to which cancer cells are most likely to spread.
The sentinel lymph node technique:
It is applied in selected cases, in accordance with international clinical guidelines.
Depending on the stage and histological characteristics of the disease, additional treatment may be required, such as:
Decisions are made on an individualised basis by a specialised oncology team.
Endometrial hyperplasia, meaning thickening of the endometrium, represents a precancerous condition in certain cases and requires careful assessment and follow-up.
Early diagnosis may prevent progression to cancer.
(This condition is discussed in detail in a separate section.)
