Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer develops when cells in the endometrium begin to proliferate uncontrollably. Cancerous cells can form in almost any part of the body and spread to other parts. The inner layer is the endometrium. Hormones cause the endometrium to change during a woman's menstrual cycle.
Estrogen thickens the endometrium, allowing it to nourish an embryo if pregnancy occurs. When there is no pregnancy, estrogen production decreases, and progesterone production increases. This causes the endometrial lining of the uterus to shed and become menstrual flow (period). This cycle continues until menopause.
Endometrial cancer begins in the cells of the uterine lining. This is the most common type of uterine cancer.
Endometrial carcinomas are classified into several types based on how the cells appear under a microscope:
- Adenocarcinoma
- Carcinosarcoma of the uterus
- Squamous cell cancer
- Cancer of the small cell
- Transitional cancer
- Cancer of the spleen
The majority of endometrial cancers are adenocarcinomas. Endometrioid cancers begin in gland cells and resemble the normal uterine lining. Some of these cancers contain squamous cells (flat, thin cells) as well as glandular cells.
Endometrioid cancer has many variants, including:
- Adenocarcinoma, Adenocarcinoma, Adenocarcinoma
- Adenoacanthoma
- Adenosquamous carcinoma
- Secretory cancer
- Ciliated cancer