Uterine Cancer (Archived)

Excerpt

The female reproductive system development can be traced to the paramesonephric duct. Bilateral paramesonephric ducts form the fallopian tubes and then fuse to form the uterus and the upper portion of the vaginal canal. The uterus is held by several ligaments that are responsible for its anteverted and anteflexed position in the pelvis. The embryo embeds and develops into a fetus in the uterus. The placenta attached to the endometrium serves as the port of transfer for nutrition and oxygen between the maternal and fetal blood. Every month in the absence of pregnancy, the endometrium sheds and causes cyclic menstrual bleeding.

The uterus is anatomically divided into three layers, endometrium (innermost), myometrium (middle), and serosa (outermost). Uterine cancer can arise from both the endometrium and the myometrium. Uterine sarcomas arise from the middle muscular layer; these are rare but are often aggressive and need prompt diagnosis and treatment. Among gynecological cancers, Endometrial carcinoma is the most common in developed countries. In developing countries, endometrial carcinoma is the second most common after cervical cancer.

The age-incidence curve of endometrial cancer suggests that the highest incidence of diagnosis is in the seventh decade of life. The American Cancer Society estimated that about 63,230 new cases of uterine cancer were diagnosed in 2018. Per estimates, 4.6 per 100,000 women die of uterine cancer in the United States of America. These statistics suggest that uterine cancer poses a great burden on the health care system, and timely prevention, diagnosis, and treatment can lead to improved patient outcomes as well as decrease the load on the system.