The uterus is the female reproductive organ where a fetus grows during pregnancy. The lining of the uterus is called the endometrium; when cancer cells originate in this lining, uterine cancer is diagnosed. Endometrial cancer is the most common form of uterine cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Once endometrial cancer is diagnosed, staging takes place. Staging is a way of categorizing the spread of disease based on standardized guidelines. Endometrial cancer is staged from Stage 0 to Stage IV, in ascending level of severity.
Significance
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2010 in the United States, more than 43,000 new diagnoses of uterine cancer will be made, and nearly 8,000 women will die from the disease. More than 98 percent of uterine cancer diagnoses are endometrial cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
Features
Stage IIIC uterine, or endometrial, cancer is broken down into two subtypes, according to the American Cancer Society. Stage IIIC1 involves cancer that is found in the body of the uterus and may have spread to surrounding tissues, but is not invading the inside of the rectum or bladder. Pelvic lymph nodes are cancerous, but lymph nodes surrounding the aorta and distant lymph nodes are cancer-free. Stage IIIC2 describes cancer that is similar to Stage IIIC1, except the cancer has spread to lymph nodes around the aorta. Distant lymph nodes remain cancer-free. In both substages, the cancer has not spread to distant parts of the body.
Treatment
For both substages of Stage IIIC endometrial cancer, treatment may consist of surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or chemotherapy, or a combination of these treatment options, according to the American Cancer Society. A radical hysterectomy, which involves removing the uterus, cervix, upper part of the vagina, and possibly the ovaries and fallopian tubes, along with pelvic lymph node removal, may be done, followed by internal and external radiation therapy, according to the National Cancer Institute. For women who cannot have surgery, radiation therapy alone may be used; for women who cannot have radiation, hormone therapy may be a treatment option. Clinical trials of chemotherapy may also be an option for some women.
Time Frame
Cancer survival rates are described in five-year survival rates; this is the percentage of patients that are alive five years after their diagnosis. For Stage IIIC endometrial cancer, or adenocarcinoma, the American Cancer Society lists the five-year survival rate as being 47 percent.
Post-Treatment
After treatment for endometrial cancer is complete, follow-up appointments will typically be scheduled every three to six months with the patient's oncologist. The American Cancer Society states that nearly 75 percent of endometrial cancer recurrences are diagnosed within the first three years of completing treatment. After three years, the risk of recurrence falls, and follow-up visits are usually only twice yearly.
References
- National Cancer Institute: Endometrial Cancer Home Page
- American Cancer Society: What are the key statistics about endometrial cancer?
- American Cancer Society: How is endometrial cancer staged?
- National Cancer Institute: Endometrial Cancer Treatment by Stage
- American Cancer Society: Endmetrial Cancer: Treatment options by stage
