Who is at Risk for Developing Uterine Cancer?
Cancer of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus, is the most common kind of uterine cancer. It is also referred to as cancer of the corpus uteri, or body of the uterus. Another type of uterine cancer involves the uterine muscles, the myometrium, but it is not as common as cancer of the endometrium. Unlike cervical cancer, the risks for uterine cancer are not as easily defined. However, existing evidence has shown an association with hormonal activity, specifically the hormone estrogen. Prolonged estrogen-related exposures, such as menstrual periods starting before age 12 (early menarche) and late menopause (after age 55), have been indicated as risk factors. Unopposed estrogen, or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) without the hormone progesterone, also increases risk. The appropriate HRT for menopausal women with a uterus combines both estrogen and progesterone; this combination has actually been shown to lower the risk of uterine cancer. Tamoxifen, used to treat breast cancer, may
