Uterine and Endometrial Cancers Awareness Month 2025 - In Case You Missed It
- Abdominal Cancers Alliance
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
During June we recognized Uterine and Endometrial Cancer Awareness Month to bring more attention to advanced forms of this cancer. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap for the month!
Understanding Uterine Sarcomas and Endometrial Cancer: Risks, Outlook, and Advances
Uterine sarcomas and endometrial cancers are two distinct types of uterine cancer, each with unique characteristics and prognoses. Uterine sarcomas are rare and can be difficult to classify, making outcomes harder to predict. Key factors influencing prognosis include the cancer’s stage and grade. For example, low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma has an excellent outlook, with over 90% of patients remaining cancer-free five years after treatment. On the other hand, high-grade sarcomas—including undifferentiated types and leiomyosarcoma—tend to be more aggressive, though early detection and evolving treatments are improving survival, with leiomyosarcoma showing a five-year survival rate of about 66% when caught early.
Endometrial cancer, which is more common than sarcoma, generally carries a very positive prognosis when detected early, particularly in low-risk cases. Most patients in this group have survival rates over 90%, and the risk of recurrence is low. Even those with slightly elevated risk do well, with recurrence rates around 5–6% following surgery alone. For higher-risk cases, such as high-intermediate or high-risk endometrial cancer, recurrence is more likely but can be significantly reduced with additional treatments like radiation therapy. In both uterine sarcomas and endometrial cancers, regular follow-up care is essential, especially during the first five years after treatment, to monitor for recurrence and support long-term health. Encouragingly, ongoing research and improved therapies continue to offer hope across all risk levels.
Key Facts about Uterine Cancers
1️⃣ Uterine sarcomas are very rare and aggressive tumors, and there is limited information on the most effective treatment options.
2️⃣ Surgery is the primary treatment, with the best outcomes seen when the entire tumor is successfully removed. Thus, an experienced surgeon is essential.
3️⃣ Additional treatments, including radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy, show mixed results. Many clinical trials are focused on improving and exploring these options further. A medical oncologist and specialized gynecologic oncologist can help determine which option is best for your case.
4️⃣ While evidence is limited, recent studies suggest that adding hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to cytoreductive surgery (CRS) may improve progression-free and overall survival in select patients.
Key Fact about Endometrial Cancers
1️⃣ Endometrial cancers are the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States and are largely hormonally driven.
2️⃣ Endometrial cancers are categorized into low-risk and high-risk groups based on histology, stage, and grade. This categorization is based on the surgical pathology and molecular analysis of the tumor and will guide treatment decisions and prognosis.
3️⃣ The main treatment for endometrial cancer is surgery, which will include a hysterectomy (a removal of the uterus) and usually a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both the fallopian tubes and ovaries), and lymph node sampling. Other complementary therapies include radiation, systemic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy.
4️⃣ With recent evidence demonstrating a significant survival benefit, there has been a shift away from palliative systemic chemotherapy and towards cytoreductive surgery (CRS) as the primary treatment option for patients with metastatic endometrial cancer. The survival benefit is greatest with a complete cytoreduction.
While there is limited data on the addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to CRS, a meta-analysis analyzing all available data concluded that there is likely a survival benefit of CRS/HIPEC, especially in the first 1-2 years, compared to CRS alone. Recommendations for CRS/HIPEC in this population are currently based on ovarian cancer guidelines.
Risk Factors
1️⃣ Age: Patients over 40
2️⃣ Ethnicity: African American women are frequently diagnosed
3️⃣ History of tamoxifen use >5 years
4️⃣ History of pelvic radiation therapy
5️⃣ Certain inherited syndromes and conditions (renal cell carcinoma, hereditary leiomyomatosis, retinoblastoma)
Signs & Symptoms of uterine and endometrial cancers can be similar to other gynecologic conditions and are often non-specific.
1️⃣ Abnormal uterine bleeding
2️⃣ Postmenopausal bleeding
3️⃣ Abdominal/pelvic pain
4️⃣ Abdominal distension
5️⃣ Urinary symptoms, such as frequent urination, painful urination, difficulty urinating
6️⃣ Unintentional weight loss
Evaluation
A physician may use some or all of these evaluation methods to diagnose uterine and endometrial cancers.
1️⃣ Physical exam
2️⃣ Imaging studies: ultrasound, PET/CT scans, CT scan, MRI scan
3️⃣ Blood work to include tumor markers
4️⃣ Biopsy (endometrial biopsy, D&C, transabdominal or transvaginal biopsy of mass)
Prognosis for patients with uterine or endometrial cancers—especially when the disease has spread to the peritoneal cavity—depends largely on the extent of peritoneal involvement. When detected early, endometrial and uterine cancers are often highly treatable with surgery alone. However, treatment options may vary based on the tumor’s type, grade, and stage at diagnosis.
Most cases begin in the lining of the uterus and are addressed with surgical removal of the uterus and surrounding tissues. For rare or aggressive forms, such as uterine sarcoma, or in advanced-stage cases where cancer has spread beyond the uterus, additional therapies like chemotherapy or radiation may be required. In some cases, patients with peritoneal spread may benefit from Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), depending on the cancer’s characteristics and location.
Early detection and specialized care are key.
Arm yourself—and your loved ones—with the information that matters.
Even the most proactive patients and advocates can only act on what they know. Help us spread the word about uterine and endometrial cancers!
Thank You
Thanks for joining us on social media this month to learn more about uterine and endometrial cancers and help spread the word!
follow us on Facebook here:  | follow us on LinkedIn here:  |
