Endometrial Cancer Awareness: Know The Signs, Know The Risks

  

Endometrial cancer doesn't stay silent for long, which is why recognising the red flags early is critical.

 Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that begins as a growth of cells in the uterus. The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped pelvic organ where fetal development happens.

Endometrial cancer begins in the layer of cells that form the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer. Other types of cancer can form in the uterus, including uterine sarcoma, but they are much less common than endometrial cancer.

The primary warning sign of endometrial cancer is abnormal uterine bleeding, such as any bleeding or spotting after menopause or unusually heavy and irregular bleeding before it.

Endometrial cancer forms in the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) and is one of the most common gynecologic cancers. Recognizing the signs and risks early makes this condition highly treatable. 

Key Warning Signs

• Postmenopausal bleeding: Any vaginal bleeding, spotting, or blood-tinged discharge after menopause requires immediate evaluation.
• Changes before menopause: Bleeding between periods, or extremely heavy, prolonged, or frequent menstrual cycles (especially in women over 40).
• Abnormal discharge: Watery, pink, or white/clear vaginal discharge.
• Pelvic symptoms: Pelvic pain, pressure, or pain during urination and intercourse in more advanced stages. 

Major Risk Factors

Most risks are linked to high exposure to the hormone estrogen without enough progesterone to balance it out:

• Hormonal factors: Conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), irregular ovulation, or taking estrogen-only hormone therapy without progestin.
• Metabolic health: Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Fat tissue increases estrogen production in the body.
• Menstrual history: Starting periods before age 12 or reaching menopause later in life.
• Genetics: Inherited conditions like Lynch syndrome significantly increase lifetime risk.
• Medications: Using the drug tamoxifen for breast cancer treatment.

Diagnosis and Detection

There is no routine screening test for endometrial cancer in people without symptoms. Doctors usually investigate abnormal bleeding using a transvaginal ultrasound to measure the thickness of the uterine lining, followed by an in-office endometrial biopsy to check for abnormal or cancerous cells. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms, would you like information on preparing questions for a gynecologist or local healthcare specialist options?

Causes

The cause of endometrial cancer isn't known. What's known is that something happens to cells in the lining of the uterus that changes them into cancer cells.

Endometrial cancer starts when cells in the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, get changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell the cells to multiply quickly. The changes also tell the cells to continue living when healthy cells would die as part of their natural life cycle. This causes a lot of extra cells. The cells might form a mass called a tumor. The cells can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. In time, the cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body.

Risk factors

Factors that increase the risk of endometrial cancer include:

• Changes in the balance of hormones in the body. The two main hormones the ovaries make are estrogen and progesterone. Changes in the balance of these hormones cause changes in the endometrium.

  A disease or condition that increases the amount of estrogen, but not the level of progesterone, in the body can increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Examples include obesity, diabetes and irregular ovulation patterns, which might happen in polycystic ovary syndrome. Taking hormone therapy medicine that contains estrogen but not progestin after menopause increases the risk of endometrial cancer.

  A rare type of ovarian tumor that gives off estrogen also can increase the risk of endometrial cancer.

• More years of menstruation. Starting menstruation before age 12 or beginning menopause later increases the risk of endometrial cancer. The more periods you've had, the more exposure your endometrium has had to estrogen.
• Never having been pregnant. If you've never been pregnant, you have a higher risk of endometrial cancer than someone who has had at least one pregnancy.
• Older age. As you get older, your risk of endometrial cancer increases. Endometrial cancer occurs most often after menopause.
• Obesity. Being obese increases your risk of endometrial cancer. This may happen because extra body fat can alter your body's balance of hormones.
• Hormone therapy for breast cancer. Taking the hormone therapy medicine tamoxifen for breast cancer can increase the risk of developing endometrial cancer. If you're taking tamoxifen, talk about the risk with your health care team. For most, the benefits of tamoxifen outweigh the small risk of endometrial cancer.
• An inherited syndrome that increases the risk of cancer. Lynch syndrome increases the risk of colon cancer and other cancers, including endometrial cancer. Lynch syndrome is caused by a DNA change that's passed from parents to children. If a family member has been diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, ask your health care team about your risk of this genetic syndrome. If you've been diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, ask what cancer screenings you need.

Prevention

To reduce your risk of endometrial cancer, you may wish to:

• Talk to your health care team about the risks of hormone therapy after menopause. If you're considering hormone replacement therapy to help control menopause symptoms, ask about the risks and benefits. Unless you've had your uterus removed, replacing estrogen alone after menopause may increase your risk of endometrial cancer. A hormone therapy medicine that combines estrogen and progestin can reduce this risk. Hormone therapy carries other risks, so weigh the benefits and risks with your health care team.
• Consider taking birth control pills. Using oral contraceptives for at least one year may reduce endometrial cancer risk. Oral contraceptives are contraceptives that are taken in pill form. They also are called birth control pills. The risk reduction is thought to last for several years after you stop taking oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptives have side effects, though, so discuss the benefits and risks with your health care team.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases the risk of endometrial cancer, so work to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If you need to lose weight, increase your physical activity and reduce the number of calories you eat each day.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Chinese and American Skullcap- herbs

Although one would be inclined to think of the Pope when hearing the word “skullcap”, it can also refer to two herbs, American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicallensis).
The two plants are from the same family, but serve different purposes when it comes to medicinal uses, and have different physical characteristics. As their full names suggest, they also grow in entirely different parts of the world. The American skullcap is native to North America, but found in Europe and elsewhere, whereas the Chinese skullcap is found in China and Russia.
The plants get their name from the shape of their small blue or purple flowers, which are hooded, tube-shaped and two-lipped. The upper lips form a hood, and the lower lid has two lobes.

Growing to between 2 and 4 feet in height and having leaves that grow to some 3 inches long, the American skullcap is a slender and heavily-branched plant. On the other hand, the Chinese skullcap has single, narrow and erect stems that bear inch-long bluish-purple flowers. Its skinless and yellow root anchors the plant. Here’s all you need to know about American and Chinese skullcap:

American Skullcap

American skullcap has antioxidant properties that are believed to protect against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety, and depression.
These properties have also been found to boost antioxidant activity in the liver, which is considered to be one of our organs that takes longest to recover. American skullcap boosts the liver’s efficiency, helping it to reduce toxin levels in the body and the blood. In turn, this leads to enhanced well-being.
• Sedative
Seeing as it’s a nervine, American skullcap can help to treat epilepsy, hysteria, panic attacks, anxiety, and delirium tremens. What’s more is that it can induce sleep naturally, doing away with the side effects that come with over-the-counter prescription drugs and sleeping aids.
• Antispasmodic
Throat infections, headaches from stress, neuralgia, and after-effects of incessant coughing can all be taken care of with American skullcap. It’s even useful for treating individuals experiencing withdrawal symptoms from tranquilizers and barbiturates. It’s also believed to be effective for treating anorexia nervosa, fibromyalgia, and mild Tourette’s syndrome.
• Analgesic
Not only can American skullcap offer pain relief throughout the whole body, but it can also reduce inflammation and help the body heal from wounds and inflammation.
Chinese Skullcap
Chinese skullcap is recognized as a very strong antiviral that can work against certain viruses, and it also has antibacterial properties that can work against certain virus strains. Furthermore, it’s also good for lessening symptoms of diabetes and hypertension. With that being said, more research needs to be done in human studies.
What Is Skullcap Used For?

Although both skullcap plants are used for medicinal purposes, it’s actually different parts of each plant that are used, namely American skullcap leaves and Chinese skullcap roots. American skullcap was widely used for two centuries to treat ailments such as anxiety, nervous tension, and convulsions.
Both plants are usually available in both powder and capsule form, however, American skullcap teas and extracts are also sold nowadays.
Certain Native American tribes are known to use American skullcap to treat rabies and schizophrenia. They also used it during spiritual ceremonies to induce hallucinations and see visions.
Chinese skullcap is used to relieve the following conditions:
• Allergies
• Common cold
Headaches
• Irritability
• Inflammation
• Infections accompanied by a fever
• Urinary tract infections
• Redness of the eyes and the face
• Abdominal pain
• Nosebleed
• Jaundice
• Diarrhea
• Dysentery
• Gout
• Vaginal bleeding
How to Grow Skullcap

American skullcap is best grown in partial shade as opposed to full sunlight and thrives on grassy slopes at high altitudes. It’s usually cultivated in sandy, rocky and dry soils, as well as in planting beds. It blooms in late spring, all throughout the summer or even early fall, depending on the climate it’s being grown in.
The seeds of both plants are best sown in early spring after the risk of frost has passed. They germinate at a naturally high rate and fare better if stratified for approximately one week.
Place the seeds in a sealed plastic bag with sand or a moist paper towel. Put them in your refrigerator, and leave them there for a week.
When the week is up, tamp the seeds lightly into the soil in flats that are about a ¼ inch deep. The seeds will germinate some two weeks after. When the first leaves have developed, begin transplanting the plant outdoors, ensuring that you leave a 12-inch gap between each row that you plant.
Water the plant moderately, ensuring that the soil is well-drained. You can also propagate skullcap plants by dividing roots or cuttings. The grown plants will eventually spread and clump, and they may even grow to be resistant to major pests.
Skullcap plants should be harvested when their flowers are in full bloom. Use shears or scissors to harvest the flowers and leaves. Make sure that you leave at least 3 inches of the plant above the ground when harvesting.
One Final Thing – Potential Side Effects of Skullcap
Always consult a physician before using skullcap, because it’s known to have several side effects. It also interacts with certain herbs, supplements or other medications. The effects of the sedatives below were all found to be increased when used in combination with both American and Chinese skullcap:
• Anticonvulsants like phenytoin (Dilantin) and valproic acid (Depakote)
• Barbiturates
• Benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium)
• Insomnia-treating drugs like zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata), eszopiclone (Lunesta) and ramelteon (Rozerem)
Pregnant or breastfeeding women must avoid skullcap due to potential complications that can arise. There are also certain varieties of American skullcap that are contaminated with germander, a group of plants that are thought to cause liver problems. The plant should always be bought from a reputable seller in order to avoid such issues.
Last but not least, Chinese skullcap should not be used by diabetics, especially if there’s no doctor supervision involved. The risk of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels can increase as a result of ingesting the herb, as well as strengthen the effect of diabetes drugs. You should also avoid Chinese skullcap if you have stomach or spleen problems. As advised above, always consult your physician prior to using either American or Chinese skullcap.

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