A bnormal bleeding after menopause is the most common symptom of cancer of the uterus. Bleeding may begin as a watery, blood-streaked discharge. Later the discharge may contain more blood. C ancer of the uterus does not often occur before menopause, but it does occur around the time menopause begins. A bnormal bleeding is not always a sign of cancer but it should always be checked by a doctor.
Early diagnosis is especially important for cancer of the uterus.
C ancer of the uterus can be diagnosed definitively only with a biopsy. This can be done with an endometrial biopsy or with an outpatient surgery called a D and C in which the doctors widens the cervix and inserts an instrument into the uterus to remove a sample of tissue. U terine cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and sometimes with hormone therapy. Patients who have had breast cancer or a family history of breast cancer must bring this to their doctor's attention so the proper treatment can be arranged. See our resource page on gynecological cancers.