Diagnosis and Management of Endometrial Cancer.

Diagnosis and Management of Endometrial Cancer. Am Fam Physician. 2016 Mar 15;93(6):468-474 Authors: Braun MM, Overbeek-Wager EA, Grumbo RJ Abstract Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. It is the fourth most common cancer in women in the United States after breast, lung, and colorectal cancers. Risk factors are related to excessive unopposed exposure of the endometrium to estrogen, including unopposed estrogen therapy, early menarche, late menopause, tamoxifen therapy, nulliparity, infertility or failure to ovulate, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Additional risk factors are increasing age, obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. The most common presentation for endometrial cancer is postmenopausal bleeding. The American Cancer Society recommends that all women older than 65 years be informed of the risks and symptoms of endometrial cancer and advised to seek evaluation if symptoms occur. There is no evidence to support endometrial cancer screening in asymptomatic women. Evaluation of a patient with suspected disease should include a pregnancy test in women of childbearing age, complete blood count, and prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time if bleeding is heavy. Most guidelines recommend either transvaginal ultrasonography or endometrial biopsy as the initial study. The mainstay of treatment for endometrial cancer is total hysterectomy with bilateral ...
Source: American Family Physician - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Am Fam Physician Source Type: research