Uterus Cancer

Uterus cancer is a malignant tumor of the endometrium (lining of the uterus).

Uterine cancer usually occurs after menopause, most often strike women aged 50-60 taun.
Cancer can spread (metastase) locally and to various parts of the body (eg cervical canal, fallopian tubes, ovaries, the area around the uterus, the lymph system or to other parts of the body through blood vessels).

CAUSE

The cause is certainly not known, but this disease seems to involve increased levels of estrogen.
One of the normal function of estrogen is to stimulate the formation of the epithelial layer of the uterus. A large number of estrogen are injected to laboratory animals causes endometrial hyperplasia and cancer.

Women who suffer from cervical cancer seems to have certain risk factors. (risk factor is something that will increase the possibility of a person to suffer from a disease).
Women who have risk factors do not always suffer from cervical cancer, whereas many cervical cancer patients who had no risk factors. Sometimes it can not be explained why a woman suffering from uterine cancer, while other women who do not.

Research has found several risk factors in cervical cancer:

1. Age
Menyeranga especially uterine cancer women aged 50 and over.
2. Endometrial hyperplasia
3. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
HRT is used to overcome the symptoms of menopause, prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.
Women who use estrogen without progesterone have a higher risk. Use of high doses of estrogen and the long term seems to increase this risk.
Women who take estrogen and progesterone have a lower risk because progesterone protects the uterus.
4. Obesity
The body makes some of estrogen in the fat tissue so that obese women have estrogen levels are higher. High levels of estrogen is the cause of the increased risk of uterine cancer in obese women.
5. Diabetes (diabetes)
6. Hypertension (high blood pressure)
7. Tamoxifen
Women who take tamoxifen to prevent or treat breast cancer have a higher risk. This risk appears associated with tamoxifen-like effects of estrogen on the uterus.
Gains from tamoxifen is greater than the risk of other cancers, but every woman reacts differently.
8. Ras
Cervical cancer is more often found in white women.
9. Colorectal cancer
10. Menarche (first menstruation) before age 12 years
11. Menopause after age 52 years
12. No children
13. Infertility
14. Polikista ovarian disease
15. Endometrial polyps.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms can include:
# Of abnormal uterine bleeding
# Abnormal menstrual cycle
# 2 bleeding between menstrual periods (in women who are still menstruating)
# Vaginal bleeding or spotting in postmenopausal women
# Bleeding very long, hard and often (in women aged over 40 years)
# Lower abdominal pain or pelvic cramping
# Out of thin white liquid or clear (in post-menopausal women)
# Pain or difficulty in urination
# Pain during sexual intercourse.

Cervical cancer

Diagnosis

Diagnosis based on symptoms and test results follows:
Pelvic #
# Pap smear
# USG transvagina
# Endometrial biopsy.

To help determine the stage or spread of cancer, carried out the following checks:
- Complete blood examination
- Urine checks
- Chest X-rays
- CT scans of bone and liver
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Limfangiografi
- Colonoscopy
- Cystoscopy.


Staging (Define stage of the cancer)
# Stage I: cancer only grows in the body of the uterus
# Stage II: cancer has spread to the cervix (cervical
# Stage III: cancer has spread outside the uterus, but still inside the pelvic cavity and had not attacked the bladder or rectum. Pelvic lymph nodes may contain cancer cells.
# Stage IV: cancer has spread to the bladder or rectum or the cancer has spread outside the pelvic cavity.

TREATMENT

Selection of treatment depends on tumor size, stage, the influence of hormones on tumor growth and tumor growth rate and the age and general condition of the patient.

Method of treatment:

1. Surgery
Most patients will undergo a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). Both fallopian tubes and ovaries are also removed (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) because tumor cells can spread to the ovaries and cancer cells are dormant (inactive), which may lag may be stimulated by estrogen produced by the ovaries. .
If found cancer cells in the lymph nodes around the tumor, the lymph nodes were also removed. If cancer cells have been found in the lymph nodes, then the possibility of cancer has spread to other body parts.
If cancer cells have spread outside the endometrium (uterine lining), then the patient does not need any other treatment.

2. Radiation therapy (radiation)
Used high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
Radiation therapy is local therapy, only attack cancer cells in the irradiated area.
In stage I, II or III radiation therapy and surgery. Radiation can be done before surgery (to minimize the size of tumors) or after surgery (to kill cancer cells remaining).

There are 2 types of radiation terjapi used to treat uterine cancer:
- External radiation: use of a large radiation machine to direct the beam to the tumor area. Radiation is usually performed 5 times / week for several weeks and the patient does not need to be treated in hospital. In external radiation no radioactive substances are inserted into the body.
- Internal radiation: use a small tube containing a radioactive substance, which is inserted through the vagina and left for several days. During the course of internal radiation, patients being treated in hospital.

3. Chemotherapy in hormone therapy use substances capable of preventing it take hormones to cancer cells and prevent the use of hormones by cancer cells. Hormones can be attached to the hormone receptors and cause changes in the uterine tissue.
Prior to hormone therapy, people with hormone receptor tests. If the network has a receptor, it is likely that patients will respond to hormonal therapy.
Hormonal therapy is a systemic therapy because it can affect cells throughout the body. In hormonal therapy usually used progesterone pill.
Hormonal therapy performed on:
- Cervical cancer that could not undergo surgery or radiation therapy
- Patients who have cancer spread to the lungs or other organs
- Uterine cancer patients who recur.
If the cancer has spread or not to respond to hormonal therapy, will be given other chemotherapy drugs, namely cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and sisplastin.


Side effects of cancer treatment

Cancer treatment can cause damage to cells and healthy tissue, because it can cause some side effects are not expected.
These side effects depends on many factors, including type and extent of treatment.

After a hysterectomy, patients usually experience pain and feel very tired. Most patients will return to live normal activities within 4-8 weeks after surgery.
Some patients experience nausea and vomiting, and voiding disorders and bowel movements.

Women who had undergone hysterectomy would not menstruate and can not be pregnant again. If the ovaries are also removed, the patient also experienced menopause. Hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms due to hysterectomy is usually more severe than the symptoms that arise due to natural menopause.

In some patients, a hysterectomy can affect sexual relationships. Patients feel the loss so that experienced difficulty in sexual intercourse.

Hysterectomy
Hysterectomy

Side effects from radiation therapy depends on the dose and the exposed body part.
Usually the skin becomes dry and red, the hair in the exposed areas experiencing loss, decreased appetite and fatigue.
Some people feel the itching, dryness and burning in the vagina.
Radiation also causes diarrhea or frequent urination.
Radiation can also cause the decrease in the number of white blood cells.

Women who take progesterone may experience increased appetite, fluid retention and weight gain. If still experiencing menstruation, it can cycle through the change.

PREVENTION

Every woman should undergo a pelvic exam and Pap smears regularly, to find signs of abnormal growth.
Women who have risk factors for cervical cancer should undergo more frequent pelvic examinations, Pap smears and screening tests (including endometrial biopsy).