What increases a womans risk of developing uterine cancer?
Some factors increase the likelihood of developing uterine cancer, such as prior pelvic radiation therapy (used to treat other types of cancer), race (one type of uterine sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, is more common among African Americans than among whites or Asians), age (uterine sarcomas tend to occur in middle aged and elderly women, although they may affect younger women as well), and Endometrial cancer risk factors. Factors that increase a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer also increase her risk for developing carcinosarcoma, but not any of the other types of uterine sarcoma. These factors tend to be related to levels of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Obesity, certain types of estrogen replacement therapy, treatment with tamoxifen (a hormonal drug used for breast cancer treatment and breast cancer risk reduction), infertility, diabetes, starting menstrual periods before age 12, and reaching menopause after age 52 all increase the amount of estrogen a woman
