Endometrial Cancer is on the rise

I entered my gynecologic oncology fellowship training in 2008. I spent 3 years learning advanced surgical skills to treat women with gynecologic cancers. During my training at Magee Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, the majority of women we took care of were diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is a uterine cancer of the lining of the uterus. In 2008, the incidence of endometrial cancer in the United States was approximately 40,000 women per year. While thumbing through cancer statistics for 2018, I noted that the incidence of endometrial cancer is estimated at approximately 61,880 for 2019. Nearly 23,000 MORE women will be diagnosed endometrial cancer, 10 years later? I thought that with advancement of research that the rates for new cancer diagnoses should decrease?

I think it is important for people to know that endometrial cancer is preventable, in most aspects. They are generally by too much estrogen. Risk factors for excess estrogen include early age of menses, late menopause, unopposed estrogen use in menopause, no history of childbearing and obesity. The biggest risk factor causing an increase in the incidence of endometrial cancer is obesity. Obesity, itself, is an epidemic in the United States. The mechanism behind obesity and cancer are increased estrone a sort of “cousin” to estrogen. Fat tissues is a large source of estrone which is a reason why endometrial cancer is on the rise.

I think it is important for you to know that vaginal bleeding in a menopausal woman is not normal, especially in women with risk factors for endometrial cancer. Please inform your doctors immediately if you have these symptoms. Certainly, the bleeding could be benign but thorough evaluation by your doctor with a pelvic ultrasound and biopsy are warranted.