Doctors Share 5 Subtle Signs of Endometrial Cancer You Should Never Ignore

(Rachel Reiff Ellis/ Prevention) –– The endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, is the layer of tissue that thickens every month in preparation for a possible pregnancy. But just as a baby can grow there, so can nasty cancer cells. Endometrial cancer, also called uterine cancer, is diagnosed in over 69,000 women every year, per the National Cancer Institute. And since there’s no screening test to catch it, knowing and recognizing the signs of endometrial cancer is key to early detection.

“Pap tests don’t check for or find endometrial cancer, and most women who get it have normal Paps,” said Nita Karnik Lee, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago Medicine. That’s why it’s important to know the risk factors.

According to the Mayo Clinic, these include taking estrogen-only hormones, starting your period before age 12 or beginning menopause late, never having been pregnant, being obese, being menopause age or post-menopausal, and taking the breast cancer medication tamoxifen.

But the most important thing you can do, really, is to know the warning signs. Unlike cervical cancer, endometrial cancer often presents with symptoms at an early stage, per the Mayo Clinic, resulting in early detection and treatment. (…)