What is womb cancer?

Your womb (uterus) is an organ that sits low in your pelvis and is where a baby grows during pregnancy.

Cancer of the womb is the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK. ^{Footnote [1]}It’s most common in post-menopausal women, ^{Footnote [2]} but can affect younger women.

Womb cancer happens when abnormal cells in your womb grow out of control and form a tumour.

If it’s caught early there’s a good chance of survival, although that can depend on other factors such as your age and general health.

The most common type of womb cancer is endometrial cancer – where abnormal cells have grown in the lining of your womb (endometrium).

There are different types of endometrial cancers and these are usually treated successfully if diagnosed early.

Soft tissue sarcomas can develop in the muscle layer of your womb (uterine sarcoma).

Although there’s no definite cause, many things can increase your chance of getting womb cancer. ^{Footnote [3]}   

• It’s more common in women post-menopause or who experienced menopause above the age of 55.
• High levels of oestrogen, for example through obesity or polycystic ovary syndrome, or through taking hormone therapy without added progesterone.
• A family history of womb, ovarian or bowel cancer.
• Diabetes.
• If you have Lynch syndrome (an inherited condition that increases the risk of certain cancers).
• If you take, or have taken, Tamoxifen (for breast cancer).
• If you’ve had radiotherapy on your pelvis.

Womb cancer may present with any of the following symptoms: ^{Footnote [4]}

• Bleeding between periods or after the menopause.
• Heavier vaginal bleeding than usual.
• Vaginal discharge that isn’t normal for you.
• A lump or mass in your lower abdomen.
• Lower back pain or pain in the lower abdomen.
• Pain during sex.
• Blood in the urine or increased urinary frequency.
• Feeling full when you’ve not eaten a large meal.

To find out if you’ve got womb cancer, doctors will need to do some tests. This could be: ^{Footnote [5]}

• An internal scan of your womb – where a small ultrasound scanning device is inserted into your vagina.
• Taking some cells from the lining of your womb to be tested in a laboratory (a biopsy).
• Blood tests.

None of the tests should hurt, but they might feel a bit uncomfortable. Your doctor will explain what's happening as you go along.

If these tests show you have cancer, your doctor will need to do some further tests to find out the size of the cancer and how far it’s spread in your body.

These tests are usually:

• Imaging scans such as an MRI scan or CT scan.
• A chest X-ray – to check if the cancer has spread to your lungs.
• Testing might include a genetic test to check for Lynch syndrome, depending on the outcome of tests performed on tumour biopsies. (This helps identify people at risk of developing bowel cancer in addition to womb cancer.)

If your womb cancer has been found early, it’s often treatable with surgery. ^{Footnote [6]}

You may also need chemotherapy, radiotherapy or targeted medicines.

Even if it’s not curable, you may still have surgery to remove your womb and other organs to reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Your medical team will discuss all options with you and will talk to you about how it could affect your fertility.

Womb cancer surgery 

Your surgeon will aim to completely remove the cancer, by removing your fallopian tubes and ovaries as well as your womb and cervix. 

Depending on whether your cancer has spread, you may have some lymph nodes removed too. These are tiny bean-shaped organs that are part of your body’s immune system and are around your womb and in your pelvis.

The surgery can be done by keyhole surgery, which is where your surgeon will operate via small instruments inserted through tiny holes in your stomach.

Alternatively, your womb may be removed through a large cut in your stomach, or through your vagina.

If your cancer is advanced, the surgeon may also recommend removing your bladder and/or rectum.

Side effects from surgery can include bleeding and infection, and recovery can take many weeks, depending on which type of operation you’ve had and what has been removed.

Radiotherapy for womb cancer

Radiotherapy may be used as the main treatment for your womb cancer, or after your surgery alongside chemotherapy to help stop the cancer coming back.

It uses high-energy radiation beams, focused on the cancer, to kill the abnormal cells and may be external, from a scanner, or internal from a radiation source placed inside your vagina.

If you’re having external radiotherapy, you’ll need to go into hospital as an outpatient for a set number of sessions. As an example, it usually takes 20-30 minutes, and you may be asked to come in every weekday for 2-3 weeks. This all depends on your treatment plan.

Chemotherapy for womb cancer

Chemotherapy can also be used as the main treatment for your womb cancer. This may also be offered if your cancer has spread outside your womb.

It’s an intensive cancer treatment often administered into a vein, which may stop or slow the growth of your cancer cells.

Your doctor will explain the procedure. You may need to have several rounds of chemotherapy over a few months.

Other womb cancer treatments

Other treatments can include:

• Hormone therapy – if your cancer is advanced.
• Immunotherapy – for cancer that has spread.
• Targeted therapy – to control the cancer and slow down the growth.

Your specialist care team will give you lots of information on follow-up care after your treatment.

You could use your health insurance cover to claim for treatment for womb cancer. First, get a referral from your GP through our Aviva Digital GP app^ . Then you can make a claim through MyAviva, online, or call us. If we confirm your claim meets the terms of your policy, we’ll pay for the treatment directly. Just be sure to tell us if you need more tests or treatment, or if your hospital or specialist changes. 

It’s good to have one less thing to worry about. It takes Aviva. 

^ These services are non-contractual and can be withdrawn or amended by Aviva at any time