The Ins and Outs of Endometrial Cancer Treatment

The most common treatments for endometrial cancer are surgery to remove your uterus, cervix, and ovaries; external or internal radiation to kill cancer cells; chemotherapy drugs to kill cancer cells; hormone therapy to slow the growth of cancer cells; targeted therapy drugs; and immunotherapy drugs that work with your immune system to find and kill cancer cells. 

Endometrial cancer is highly treatable, especially if you start in early stages. If your cancer hasn’t spread beyond the endometrium, surgery will get rid of the cancer in your body completely. For more advanced stages, follow-up treatments help kill cancer that’s moved to other parts of your body.  

Five-year survival rates for endometrial cancer depend on the spread of your cancer.  Localized endometrial cancer that hasn’t spread outside your uterus has a 95% survival rate. Regional endometrial cancer that has spread to nearby areas or lymph nodes has a 70% survival rate. Distant endometrial cancer that has spread to organs such as your liver or lungs has an 18% survival rate.

Your doctor will do tests to figure out what stage of endometrial cancer you have before discussing treatment options. If you hope to get pregnant some day, you and your doctor can talk about whether you can postpone surgery and treat your cancer with medication. Your doctor will also consider your age and overall health before recommending a treatment path. 

Having surgery for endometrial cancer means you can no longer get pregnant. You’ll also start menopause if your ovaries are removed during surgery, which will cause its own symptoms. Radiation can cause skin irritation or internal irritation, depending on the kind of radiation you have. You may also have low blood counts afterward. Radiation can cause long-term effects such as bone weakness and vaginal dryness. 

Chemotherapy kills fast-growing cells in your entire body, even normal ones like hair cells and the cells that line your digestive tract. This causes symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, low or no appetite, mouth sores, vaginal sores, and hair loss. You may also have low blood cell counts. Hormone therapy often causes hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and weight gain.

Recovery from endometrial cancer surgery takes four to six weeks. External radiation also typically takes four to six weeks of sessions to be effective. Internal radiation may be given over several days or weeks. You may take radiation and chemotherapy together, alternating treatments with rest periods. Targeted therapy may be a daily pill or IV infusions you get every two to three weeks. Typically your doctor stops your treatment when there are no more signs of cancer.  

Some treatments such as chemotherapy will reduce your appetite, so it’s important to make your calories count. Doctors recommend starting any healthy switches even before you start treatment to prep your body well. Go for whole foods high in protein, healthy fats, whole grains, and vitamins and minerals, and avoid highly processed, high-fat, or sugary foods.

Researchers do clinical trials on new treatments. Sometimes when these treatments work better than current standard treatments, the FDA approves the new treatments. Your doctor can tell you if you qualify for a clinical trial for endometrial cancer treatment. 

Your endometrial cancer is most likely to come back in the first several years after treatment. Your doctor may want to see you every three to six months for the first three years, and then every six to 12 months. If your cancer was at a higher stage, you may need more frequent checkups.