Uterus Cancer
Uterus
Cancer:
Uterus Cancer is the most common
gynaecological cancer affecting women. There are several
types of cancer of the uterus, depending in which part of the uterus the
cancer occurs. The
majority are actually cancers of the endometrium, the lining of the
uterus. Cancers can also
develop in the muscle layers of the uterus. Cancer of the uterus is a
malignant growth of cells in
the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. The uterus (womb) is the
muscular organ at the top of
the vagina. Babies develop in the uterus, and menstrual blood comes from
the uterus. This type of
cancer is also called uterine or endometrial cancer. The cause of cancer
of the uterus is not
known. However, you are at greatest risk of having this type of cancer if
you have a condition
that causes your body to produce a lot of the hormone estrogen and you
have gone through
menopause. Having a high level of estrogen in your body does not create a
high risk of cancer by
itself. It is a risk only when your body also does not have enough of
another hormone called
progesterone. After you go through menopause, the progesterone in your
body decreases or
disappears. Usually estrogen levels also drop quite a bit.
Uterine
Leiomyosarcoma and Other Smooth Muscle Tumors of the Uterus:
Uterine
leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare form of cancer of the uterus, where smooth
muscle tumors
develop in the lining of the uterus. However, the generic term smooth
muscle tumor is used to
describe both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors of the uterus. Uterine
leiomyosarcoma refers
to malignant tumors, whereas an example of a benign tumor is a fibroid,
also known as uterine
myoma. The uterus is the most common site for the development of both
cancerous and non-
cancerous smooth muscle tumors. Surgical biopsy is necessary to determine
whether a soft tissue
tumor is malignant or benign and to establish the prognosis for
leiomyosarcoma. A biopsy generally
involves making a small incision and inserting a special needle to remove
a sample of the tumor
tissue. When uterine leiomyosarcoma is suspected, a small piece of
affected smooth muscle tissue
is biopsied from inside the uterus.
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