Uterine cancer, also called endometrial cancer, led to almost 8,000 deaths and more than 40,000 new cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2009, reports the National Cancer Institute. The cancer develops due to abnormal cell proliferation of cells in the endometrial tissue--the layers of specialized tissue that surround the uterus. Uterine cancer is typically diagnosed following a pelvic exam and pap smear, as well as medical testing to confirm cancer. During these tests, doctors look for indicators of the presence and severity of cancer.
Abnormal Cells
The first thing doctors look for when testing for uterine cancer is the presence of abnormal cells in a pelvic exam and pap smear. During the test, the doctor will feel for any abnormal growths in the uterus, and any abnormalities in the consistency of the uterus may indicate the presence of a tumor or uterine cancer. Additionally, doctors collect a small sample of cells from the cervix, the entrance to the uterus. Following the test, doctors examine the cell sample to identify any cells with an abnormal appearance that could indicate the presence of a pre-cancerous or cancerous lesion in any of the specialized cell types of the uterus, explains the National Cancer Institute. The presence of abnormal cells is the first step in diagnosing uterine cancer, and patients with abnormal pap smear results may undergo additional testing to definitively diagnose and identify characteristics of the uterine cancer.
Tumor Size
Once a doctor has confirmed the presence of uterine cancer, the next step is to determine the severity of the tumor. One measure of tumor severity is the size of the lesion. Earlier-stage uterine cancers develop small lesions confined in the lining of the uterus. As the cancer progresses, and the tumor cells give rise to more and more cells, the uterine cancer grows and begins to invade into surrounding organs, such as the cervix, rectum or bladder, according to the American Cancer Society. Doctors may perform tissue biopsies, medical imaging or surgery to explore the size and extent of uterine cancer growth and choose a cancer treatment according to the stage of cancer severity.
Lymph Node Spread and Metastasis
Doctors also look for the migration of uterine cancer cells away from the uterus and surrounding structures and into other tissues. Later-stage uterine cancer typically first spreads to the lymph nodes in the pelvis, a series of beanlike structures that house immune system cells. To test whether the uterine cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, doctors perform a series of tissue biopsies by removing a number of lymph nodes around the cancer and testing for the presence of cancer cells.
Additionally, doctors may test for the presence of uterine cancer in distant tissues throughout the body, which indicates that the cancer has metastasized. The American Cancer Society indicates that advanced uterine cancer commonly spreads to the liver or lungs, so doctors may check for the presence of cancer growth in these organs. After determining the extent of uterine cancer spreading to the lymph nodes and distant tissues, doctors formulate a treatment strategy to suit the needs of the patient.
