Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer in women and the sixth most common cancer among women. Uterine cancer is typically a disease of women who have passed menopause and its prognosis is mainly good.

Uterine cancer patients’ surgical and adjuvant therapies as well as monitoring take place in special health care of up to three years. We aim to start the implementation of surgical treatment and possible other treatment at Tays within four weeks of the arrival of the referral.

Examinations and referral to Tays

Examinations are usually started due to abnormal uterine discharge or an abnormal ultrasound finding of the uterus in outpatient health care, i.e. at a health centre doctor’s or private practitioner’s surgery. The doctor refers the patient to Tays for further examinations and treatment.

Endometrial cancer is diagnosed with the help of an endometrial sample. The sample can be taken either by the referring doctor in connection with a gynaecological examination, or it can be taken at Tays during the outpatient clinic appointment. Sometimes, the sample is taken during hysteroscopy, which is carried out at Tays as a day surgery procedure.

In order to plan treatment, we order a full-body CT scan and discretionary lower abdomen magnetic resonance imaging to determine the spread of the disease. In addition, we take blood samples, i.e. a basic blood count and tumour markers.

Treatment of uterine cancer

The planning of treatment takes place at the surgery of a doctor specialising in the treatment of gynaecological cancer.

Based on the assessment of the doctor, the surgery includes either the removal of the uterus and ovaries or the removal of the uterus, ovaries, pelvic lymph nodes, lymph nodes next to the aorta and possibly the omentum. The surgeries are primarily endoscopies, robotically assisted as necessary.

Based on the samples taken during the surgery, the need for further treatment is established. Some patients do not need any other treatment after the surgery. Possibly needed radiation therapy is provided at the radiation therapy outpatient clinic, while chemotherapy is provided at the chemotherapy outpatient clinic situated at the gynaecology outpatient clinic.

Monitoring

The prognosis of local uterine cancer is good and the disease seldom recurs. If the recurring risk of the disease is estimated as minor, the patient is monitored after the surgery follow-up at the symptom outpatient clinic. In that case, the monitoring does not include routine doctor’s appointments, excluding the final examination three years after the surgery.