Thousands of women overlook early signs of rising uterine cancer

Why do so many women ignore one of the most obvious warning signs of uterine cancer? It’s a cancer that usually announces itself early, but women wait, or brush off the warning signs, and that allows the disease to take hold.

Uterine cancer, also called endometrial cancer, is not rare, and it can strike anyone. Anne Bancroft, the Oscar-winning actress best known as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, died of this disease. She never spoke publicly about her illness, a missed opportunity to build greater awareness, and where are the public health campaigns to prevent it? Uterine cancer needs a champion to yell the warning signs from the rooftops.

Each year, thousands of women in Canada and tens of thousands in the U.S. are diagnosed, and the numbers are climbing. Yes, we’re living longer. But there’s another culprit: obesity. You may not know this, but in addition to the ovaries, fat tissues actively produce estrogen. Too much estrogen is like fertilizer that keeps making the lining of the uterus grow. Research shows obesity can triple the risk.

A recent study points to another concern. Researchers found that women who frequently use chemical hair straighteners have more than double the risk of developing uterine cancer. Why? Possibly because of hormone-disrupting chemicals absorbed through the scalp. Are Black women, who use these products most frequently, advised by their salons of this danger?

Other risks are harder to avoid. Women who start menstruating early, or reach menopause late, spend more years with estrogen acting on the uterus. Estrogen itself isn’t the enemy. It’s essential for reproduction. Each month it makes the uterine lining thicken for a possible pregnancy. Progesterone usually balances this growth, but when it’s absent, or insufficient, the lining can grow too thick, or irregularly. Over time, this increases the chance that abnormal cells will form, and some can become cancerous.

That’s why women who never have children, or who don’t breastfeed, are at higher risk. Pregnancy and breastfeeding both give the uterus a long holiday from estrogen. It’s also why hormone therapy after menopause must be handled carefully. Estrogen on its own increases risk, but combined with progesterone, it can be safe. Other risks, like taking tamoxifen for breast cancer, or inheriting genetic conditions such as Lynch syndrome, can’t be avoided, but they do mean vigilance is even more important.

Uterine cancer is one of the cancers that almost always sends a signal. The red flag is bleeding. Before menopause, if periods suddenly change, get heavier, or if bleeding happens between cycles, don’t let anyone brush off the incident. After menopause, even a single spot of blood is abnormal.

Diagnosis isn’t complicated. An ultrasound can measure the thickness of the uterine lining, but the most reliable test is a biopsy, done in a quick office procedure. If the results aren’t clear and bleeding continues, more investigation is needed. This is where women must be their own advocates. Too many walk away reassured when they shouldn’t.

Caught early, uterine cancer is highly curable. Surgery to remove the uterus, sometimes along with the fallopian tubes and ovaries, is often enough. If the cancer is more advanced, radiation, or chemotherapy may follow. For younger women who want children, hormone therapy can sometimes delay surgery. The key is catching the cancer before it spreads.

Don’t wait for someone to make uterine cancer their cause célèbre before getting active with prevention and early detection. Maintain a healthy weight. Don’t let strong chemicals seep into your scalp, and above all, never ignore abnormal bleeding, before or after menopause, not even one drop.