Uterus:  the hollow muscular organ in female in which the fertilized ovum normally becomes embedded and in which the developing embryo and fetus is nourished. Its cavity opens into the vaginal below and into a uterine tube on either side.

Uterine cancer or endometrium is the most common gynecologic cancer.  It usually affects post menopausal women between ages 50 to 60. It is uncommon between ages 30 and 40, and extremely rare before age 30. Most pre menopausal women who develop uterine cancer have a history of anovular menstrual cycles ( not associated with ovulation ) or other hormonal imbalance.

Uterine cancer is most often caused by adenocarcinoma (carcinoma derived from glandular tissue or in which the tumor cells form recognizable glandular structures. Other causes include adenocanthoma (adenocarcinoma in which some of the cells exhibit squamous differentiation), endometrial stromal sarcoma (adenomyosis in which all or nearly all of the tissue infiltrating the myometrium consists of stroma  -(stroma - the supporting tissue or matrix of an organ) ), lymphosarcoma (a general term applied to malignant neoplastic disorders of lymphoid tissue, but not including Hodgkin's disease), mixed mesodermal tumors (including carcinosarcoma), and leiomyosarcoma (a sarcoma containing cells of smooth muscle).

Risk factors include low fertility index and anovulation; abnormal uterine bleeding, obesity, hypertension, or diabetes; familial tendency; history of uterine polyps or endometrial hyperplasia.

Symptoms:

Abnormal vaginal bleeding.  In some women with uterine cancer experience no symptoms until the disease spreads to other organs.

Vaginal discharge that may range from pink and watery to thick, brown and foul smelling.

Uterine enlargement and unusual premenopausal or postmenopausal bleeding discharge may be watery and blood streaked at first but gradually becomes more bloody.

Weight loss and pain (cancer may well be advanced when these appear)

Treatment:

May require surgery, radiation, or hormonal therapy, or various combinations of these, depending on the extent of the disease.

*Any abnormal and or heavy bleeding should be reported to your doctor.