After making a diagnosis of uterine cancer, doctors will use a variety of tests to learn more about the disease and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. This process is called staging, and it helps determine a person’s outlook and treatment options.
For most people, uterine cancer is diagnosed in its early stages. Nearly 70 percent of all uterine cancers are classified as stage I, meaning the cancer is contained within the uterus. Doctors assign each uterine cancer stage from 1 to 4, using Roman numerals. A lower number means the cancer is more advanced, while a higher number indicates that the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.
To find out the uterine cancer stages, your doctor will use tests, such as a biopsy and ultrasound, to get a better understanding of the type of cancer you have and how far it has spread. He or she will then create a treatment plan based on that information.
When uterine cancer is in its earliest stages, the survival rate is very high — about 90 percent for endometrial cancer and 81% for sarcoma of the uterus. That’s why it’s so important to detect uterine cancer early, when it’s easier to treat.
The most common types of uterine cancer are endometrial and sarcoma. Both are treated similarly, but the 5-year survival rates for each type of cancer varies based on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis.
In stage 1, uterine cancer is confined to the inner membrane of the uterus (endometrium). It may have spread slightly into the uterus’s outer layer of muscle tissue, or myometrium, but it has not reached any of the supporting connective tissues of the cervix or lymph nodes.
If a uterine cancer is in stage 2, it has spread from the uterus into the lining of the cervix, but not into the ovaries or fallopian tubes. In this stage, symptoms include unusual bleeding or spotting and pain in the abdomen. Doctors treat this stage with radical hysterectomy surgery to remove the uterus, along with the fallopian tubes and ovaries if necessary. They may also recommend radiation therapy or vaginal brachytherapy.
Stage 3 uterine cancer has spread from the uterus into the surrounding tissues in the pelvic area. Doctors have two subcategories for this stage: stage IIIA, in which the cancer has grown into the abdominal tissue in one spot; and stage IIIB, in which the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the groin area or to organs in the abdomen, such as the bones and lungs. For this reason, the survival rate for uterine cancer in stage IV is lower than that of earlier stages. This is why it’s so important to keep up with regular exams and to talk with your doctor about any changes in your health, especially if you have risk factors for uterine cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight and using hormonal birth control can help lower your chances of getting uterine cancer.
