Uterine cancer symptoms are very confusing for an ordinary women and most woman take it as something as simple as indigestion. This is why the cancer is always diagnosed late and many women have to pay dearly with their lives for the mistake.
It is therefore important to be able to identify the symptoms of uterine cancer early on. For those who have been unfortunate as to not have diagnosed the disease early, here are some late symptoms to watch out for. The prognosis for late is always poor for all kinds of cancers.
Some Late Symptoms Of Uterine Cancer
Pain In The Pelvic Region
As the tumour advances, it starts putting pressure on the nearby organs and abdominal area. This will result in pain in the pelvic region and abdominal pain.
Spread of tumour to these areas is possible during the later stages and most women would have moderate to severe pain which is what makes them wake up and realise that something is really wrong. Based on the size of the tumour, the pain can be consistent as the pressure on the abdominal cavity will be tremendous.
Bladder Problems
Urinary bladder being very close to the uterus will also be affected with uterine cancer. Women will mostly be met with urinary incontinence as the tumour will press against the urinary bladder and cause shrinkage of the bladder and hence difficulty in holding urine.
Bowel Problems
Rectum too comes directly in line with the uterus and the tumour can put pressure on the rectum causing severe constipation or diarrhoea depending on the extent of the tumour growth and spread. Bowel movements will be painful due to the pressure exerted by the tumour.
Abdominal Swelling
Swelling of the abdomen is because the abdominal fluid gets accumulated in the cavity due to poor drainage. This happens when the tumour has spread to the lymph node and the lymphatic system does not function properly, leading to increased abdominal girth.
Weight Loss
Tumour growth in any area of the body will be met with tremendous weight loss and fatigue. This is because the body is trying hard to resist the tumour cells from spreading, leading to increased metabolism and weight loss. If there is any weight loss which is inexplicable, never postpone a visit to the doctor.
Treatment Strategies
Though there are limitations for treatment in the late stages of cancer, the normal treatment method adopted is surgery which is followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
The uterus is removed in most cases, rendering women unable to bear children. Sometimes the ovaries too need to be removed if the cancer has spread to the ovaries. Younger women who would like to conceive can go for egg freezing or embryo freezing which has to be done before the surgery.
Surrogacy can be an option in women who have lost their uterus and would still love to have children. Uterine cancer affects older women and women who have been exposed to HRT and radiation treatment in the pelvic region. If careful, most women can survive the disease and lead a normal life.
