Uterine Cancer

What is a Mediport? Should I Get One?

As we mentioned in chemotherapy given, a mediport is a means of giving chemotherapy. As opposed to an intravenous catheter, which is placed and then removed after it is done, a mediport is called a...

How Will My Age Affect My Options For Treatment?

We do not, in general, make treatment decisions based on age. What is more important is how you are physically doing when you are diagnosed; a 45-year-old woman with end-stage complications from diabetes may be...

What Are The Side Effects Of Treatment?

We touched on this briefly before, but in general, chemotherapy can cause lowering of the blood cell counts, which may put you at an increased risk for infection, anemia, or bleeding, hair loss, nausea, diarrhea,...

How Is Chemotherapy Given?

As previously discussed, all of the chemotherapy for endometrial cancer is given by vein. One of the drugs, doxorubicin, can be particularly dangerous if it leaks out of an intravenous drip (IV) into the skin....

What Kind Of Chemotherapy Is Used To Treat Uterine Cancer?

Drugs known as platinum salts serve as the basis for treatment of endometrial cancer. The current data sup-ports a three-drug combination of cisplatin, doxoru-bicin, and paclitaxel. However, it is quite a difficult treatment to tolerate....

Will I Need Chemotherapy?

If you have positive lymph nodes or if you have involvement of the ovaries or tubes, you will likely need chemotherapy. In addition, if you have a serous papillary cancer of the uterus, your doctor...

How Do You Decide If I Need Radiation Therapy?

As we mention in Question 40, the decision to treat with radiation therapy is made on the basis of risk factors found at the time of surgery. These include the grade of the tumor, the...

My Surgeon Mentioned Removing My Lymph Nodes

What Are They? The lymph nodes are bean sized structures that are part of the immune system. Endometrial cancer can spread to the lymph nodes along the veins and arteries in the pelvis. Your surgeon...

Do I Need To Have My Ovaries Removed? My Cervix?

As noted in Have My Surgery Done Vaginally, removal of the cervix and ovaries is required for complete surgical treatment of endometrial cancer. In young women, the ovaries may be spared, but the risk that...

Can I Have My Surgery Done Vaginally?

A vaginal hysterectomy is a reasonable surgical choice for carefully selected patients. The standard approach still requires total hysterectomy and removal of the ovaries. For women who are very large or who have significant medical...

My Surgeon Recommends That I Have My Uterus Removed

How do they do this? The traditional method of removing the uterus for endometrial cancer is to remove it abdominally, through a vertical incision in the abdomen, called a laparotomy. This can sometimes also be...

How Do I Decide By Whom And Where I Should Be Treated?

Once the diagnosis of endometrial cancer has been made, you should see a Gynecologic Oncologist for your surgery if this is possible. Gynecologic Oncologists have the most experience with endometrial cancer. Unlike gynecologists, Gynecologic Oncologists...

How Does Uterine Cancer Spread?

Cancer can spread in three ways: by extending into surrounding tissue; by passing through the blood sup-ply, a process called hematogenous dissemination; or by traveling in the  lymphatic system, the “cleaning sys-tem” of the body,...