Uterine cancer, sometimes referred to as endometrial cancer, is the most commonly diagnosed gynecologic cancer in the United States (ACS, 2013; CDC, 2012). Each year about 45,000 women get uterine cancer and about 8,400 women die from it (CDC, 2012). It is a cancer caused by abnormal cells growing in the lining of the uterus, or endometrium (ACS, 2013; CDC, 2012). The two major types of uterine cancer are adenocarcinoma and sarcoma. Adenocarcinoma develops from the endometrium, which make up more than 95% of uterine cancers (Amant et al., 2005). The endometrium plays a major role each month by swelling in preparation for pregnancy in women of reproductive age; and if pregnancy does not occur, then the lining sheds and flows out of the …show more content…
Endometrial cancer is rare in women under the age of 45 and slightly more common in white women; however, black women are more likely to die from it. Other risk factors associated with endometrial cancer include age, where women over 50 years are at greater risk; ethnicity; and having other cancers such as breast and ovarian cancer (ACS, 2013; CDC, 2012; NCI, 2010).
Classification
Nearly all uterine cancers start in the endometrium and are referred to as endometrial carcinomas or adenocarcinomas, meaning that they originate from a single layer of epithelial cells lining the endometrium (Creasman et al., 2003). The most common type of endometrial carcinoma is endometriod adenocarcinoma, which makes up about 80% of all endometrial carcinomas (Amant et al, 2005). Endometrioid cancer is composed of cells in the gland that resembles normal endometrium. The grade of endometrioid cancer is dependent on glands that form and look similar to the glands found in normal, healthy endometrium. The lower the grade, the more cancerous tissue forms glands (ACS, 2013; Amant et al., 2005).
Grade 1: tumors have 95% or more of the
Fibroids are becoming more and more common in women in the United States. It is estimated that 171 million women in the U.S. were affected by this condition in 2013(6). About 20% to 80% of women develop fibroids by age 50 (6). As many as three out of four women may have uterine fibroids in her lifetime (4). Fibroids, also known as uterine leiomyoma, are benign tumors that can be found in women of childbearing age due to its dependence on estrogen and progesterone (7). They are made of muscle cells and other tissues that can grow around or in the uterus or womb. With fibroids, a single cell divides repeatedly, eventually creating a firm, rubbery mass distinct from nearby tissue (2). Some fibroids even go through growth spurts where they grow and shrink on their by itself. There are women with fibroids who have no symptoms at all. If they do, it may consist of heavy or painful periods, frequent
Uterine leiomyoma also known as uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors in women during childbearing age. The tumors come from smooth muscle cells of the myometrium within the uterus that changes in size and cellular properties during the reproductive years of a woman. The change in size and cellular property with hypertrophy of the smooth muscle cells normally happen during pregnancy and also occur with uterine fibroids. The development of the tumors is dependent upon estrogen and progesterone and interaction with growth factors, cytokines and extracellular matrix components (Taylor, Holthouser,
Cervical Cancer is the second most common cancer for women yet it is the most common cancer of the reproductive system. According to the CDC in 2010 11,818 women in the United States were diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,939 women in the United States died from cervical cancer. The most common type is squamous cell carcinoma. Human papilloma virus, otherwise known as HPV, is known to cause cervical abnormalities and has been linked to cervical cancer.
Infertility and ovarian cancer are very serious problems that can be developed in women with endometriosis. Infertility is the main problem associated with endometriosis. It can be a major setback for seemingly healthy couples that want to start a family. “Endometriosis is associated with infertility in 30-40% of sufferers (World Endometriosis, 2011)” “The presence of endometriosis may involve masses of tissue or scarring (adhesions) within the pelvis that may distort normal anatomical structures, such as Fallopian tubes, which transport the eggs from the ovaries. Alternatively, endometriosis may affect fertility through the production of hormones and other substances that have a negative effect on ovulation, fertilization of the egg, and/or implantation of the embryo” (MedicineNet, 2013). Although
Risk factor: Pregnancy- women who have their first pregnancy before the age 17 are twice more likely to develop cervical cancer (CDC, 2000).
Endometriosis lesions can affect the outside of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, vagina, cervix, bowel and lining of the pelvic cavity. The problem with these lesions is that they contain specialized cells just like the ones present inside the uterus, that are meant to shed during the menstrual cycle. During normal menstruation, the blood and cells leave the body via the vagina, but the blood and cells from the endometrial growths have no way to leave the body.
Cervical cancer has a major impact on women’s lives; it is the second most common cause of cancer-related diseases and death among women worldwide. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), cervical cancer is the cancer that forms in tissues of the cervix. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus that connects the vagina to the upper part of the uterus. Cervical cancer is a slow-growing cancer that may not cause any symptoms at first but may cause pelvic pain or bleeding from the vagina later. It is mostly caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sexual activity (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2010).
uterine tumour. Cytological test of uterine cervix was negative and that of the endometrium was not possible. Magnetic resonance
Epithelial tumors about ninety percent of ovarian cancer develop in the epithelium, which is the thin sheet of tissue that protects the ovaries. This form of ovarian cancer generally occurs in postmenopausal women. Germ cell carcinoma, making up about five percent of ovarian cancer causes, begins in the cells that form eggs. Germ cell carcinoma can transpire in any woman; however, it tends to be found in women who are just entering adulthood. There are several different varieties of germ cell carcinoma that exist, but the three most familiar types are teratomas, dysgerminomas and endodermal sinus tumors. Most of the tumors that surface in the germ cells are not cancerous. However, stromal carcinoma tumors ovarian stromal carcinoma are malignant, accounting for about five percent of ovarian cancer cases. These tumors emerge in the connective tissue cells that connect the ovaries together and those that produce female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. The two most common types of tumors are granulosa cell tumors and sertoli leydig cell tumors. In contrast to epithelial ovarian carcinoma, 70 percent of stromal carcinoma cases are detected when they are in the beginning stage. Small cell carcinoma of the ovaries is a rare, distinctly c tumor that affects primarily young women whom have an average age of 24 years old. The subtypes of small cell carcinoma of the ovaries includes pulmonary, neuro-endocrine and hypercalcemic small cell carcinoma of the ovaries accounts for 0.1 percent of ovarian cancer instances. Approximately two thirds of patients with small cell carcinoma ovaries have hypercalcemia which is when there is an abundant amount of calcium in the blood. (``Types of Ovarian Cancer``,
The fourth most common cancer in women worldwide happens to be Cervical Cancer. It also has the fourth highest mortality rate among cancers in women.
Developed in approximately 30% of women over 35 years and many women who are Driving first past their childbearing years, uterine fibroids are the most common type of pelvic tumors in women.
Endometriosis is a gynecological medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus (endometrium) appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the membrane which lines the abdominal cavity. The uterine cavity is lined with endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones. Endometrial-like cells in areas outside the uterus (endometriosis) are influenced by hormonal changes and respond in a way that is similar to the cells found inside the uterus. Symptoms often worsen with the menstrual cycle.
Endometriosis is described as a painful disorder in which the tissues that line the uterus travel to areas outside of the uterus. The cells in the endometrial tissues become transplanted in areas outside the uterus such as the abdomen, the ovaries, and in the rectovaginal septum and act as normal endometrial tissue. The tissue thickens, breaks down, and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Endometrial tissues that become displaced cannot exit the body and it becomes trapped inside the abdomen. Endometrial tissue can often spread beyond the lower pelvic region into the peritoneum.
Today in the world there are many different types of reproductive cancers. A reproductive cancer I’m going to be writing about is Breast cancer. Yes, its Breast Cancer. According to American Cancer Society (2017) Breast cancer is “Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control. These cells usually form a tumor that can often be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump. The tumor is malignant (cancer) if the cells can grow into (invade)surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. Breast cancer occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get cancer too (pg.1). Although Breast cancer first start in the breast, it can also start from other places surrounding that tissue or area.
In the United States, it is one of the eight-most common cancer of women. According to researches, the data shows that Hispanic women are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than the general population and their median age at diagnosis is 48. In 1998, about 12,800 women were diagnosed in the US and about 4,800 died. Among cancers of the female reproductive tract, it is less common than endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. The rates of new cases in the United States was 7 per 100,000 women in 2004. Cervical cancer deaths decreased by approximately 74% in the