Is there an incubation period for endometrial cancer?

Endometrial cancer is a relatively slowly developing disease. In the early stages, there are usually no obvious symptoms, so it is easily ignored. By the time it is discovered, the disease has already progressed to the middle and late stages, and treatment is no longer meaningful. Active treatment is required for endometrial cancer, especially if you notice anything unusual in your body. You must go to the hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible.

Does endometrial cancer have a latent period?

There is an incubation period for endometrial cancer, and the length of the incubation period varies, ranging from a few months to more than ten years. Patients will not have obvious symptoms during the incubation period. The earliest symptom of endometrial cancer patients is irregular vaginal bleeding. The amount of bleeding is not particularly large, and there will also be varying degrees of vaginal discharge.

As the disease progresses, endometrial cancer patients will develop lumps in their abdomens, which are often tender. Severe endometrial cancer patients will experience lower limb edema, secondary anemia, fever, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, clavicle pain, etc., which have a great impact on patients.

If you find the above situation, you should go to the hospital for examination in time. Currently, common methods for examining endometrial cancer include B-ultrasound, segmental diagnostic curettage, hysteroscopy, cytology, magnetic resonance imaging, tumor markers, etc. Doctors need to make a diagnosis based on the patient's examination results. The symptoms of endometrial cancer are often similar to those of dysfunctional uterine bleeding, senile vaginitis, senile endometritis combined with pyometra, endometrial polyps or submucosal uterine fibroids, cervical canal cancer, uterine sarcoma and fallopian tube cancer, so they must be carefully differentiated.

For diseases such as endometrial cancer, active treatment is also very important. Currently, common methods for treating endometrial cancer generally include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatment. When choosing a treatment method, you must carefully listen to the doctor's opinions and suggestions and actively cooperate with the doctor.

Since endometrial cancer is life-threatening, it is very important to actively prevent the occurrence of this disease. It is necessary to change bad living habits, control diet properly, exercise appropriately, ensure adequate rest time, and have more contact with nature. These will prevent the occurrence of the disease.

How to spot early signs of endometrial cancer

1) Postmenopausal bleeding

This refers to any bleeding that occurs more than a year after your last menstrual period. This is a typical danger sign and should be checked by a gynecologist to rule out the possibility of endometrial or cervical cancer.

2) Irregular or excessive menstruation

Any irregular or heavy bleeding (especially in women over 40), especially when the bleeding cannot be controlled by medication, should be checked by a gynecologist. For women who experience irregular bleeding, it is important to determine whether the bleeding is caused by a tumor.

3) Abnormal Pap smear results

Although the Pap smear is primarily used to check for disease of the cervix, abnormal results on certain tests may indicate cancer in the lining of the uterus. Up to half of women with endometrial cancer have an abnormal Pap smear result.

4) Women with long-term irregular menstruation, with less than 4 cycles a year, have an increased risk of endometrial cancer. Regardless of age, women should be referred to a gynecologist for further evaluation and treatment.