by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris ~
There’s plenty of bad news about endometrial cancer:
. Top most common gynecologic cancer in the U.S.
. Fourth most common and seventh most deadly women’s cancer in this country
. Kills upwards of 10,000 American women per year
. Kills about twice as many black women than other racial groups
. Becoming not only more common, but also more deadly
The great news is that this disease, also known as uterine cancer, womb cancer, or cancer of the uterine lining, has relatively high survival rates. That’s because it usually gives us a heads-up with early warning symptoms, allowing us enough time to treat it and beat it.
However many women, like me, had never heard a word about endometrial cancer until we got it—surprise!—so at first we didn’t recognize the red flags.
Here at Sass101 we want to fix that problem and help save lives.
Would you please pitch in by remembering the important clues listed below, and tell your gynecologist right away if (heaven forbid) you see any of them?
Also please post the link to this article on your social media, and send it around to family and friends, asking them to spread the word too. It just might save your life—or your friend’s, or your coworker’s, or your sister’s, or your aunt’s, or your mother’s…
10 WARNING SIGNS OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER
(Please note that patients might get only one or two of these symptoms, not necessarily all of them. If you experience even one of the signs, please tell your gynecologist immediately and make sure that he or she follows up as soon as possible with appropriate diagnostics, which might include vaginal ultrasound, uterine biopsy, or other tests.)
1. Vaginal bleeding or spotting
Women who are still menstruating (before menopause) might experience:
. a heavier amount of bleeding than usual during periods
. longer periods than usual
. spotting between periods—even just a drop on the toilet paper or underwear
. irregular period cycles
Women who are no longer menstruating (after menopause) might experience:
. any amount of vaginal blood, even just a drop on the toilet paper or underwear
. unusual vaginal discharge
Please don’t fall for the popular poppycock that unusually heavy menstrual bleeding, or any bleeding or spotting between periods, or any bleeding or spotting after menopause are okay. Always tell your gynecologist right away, plus insist on prompt and proper testing such as ultrasound and biopsy.
2. Unusual vaginal discharge (at any age)
3. Change in bowels such as constipation or bloating
4. Change in bladder habits such as urinating more frequently
5. Difficulty or pain while urinating
6. Pain, pressure, or sensitivity in the pelvic area
7. Pain, pressure, or sensitivity in the vagina
8. Pain, discomfort, unpleasant sensitivity, or bleeding during or after intercourse
9. Changes in the vagina or vulva area such as any growth, lump, or pimple (no matter how small)
10. Unexplained weight loss
If you see any of these signs, please make an appointment with your gynecologist right away, and be firm about requesting follow-up tests for possible cancer.
It all sounds so scary that you might be tempted to ignore the warning signs, or to not follow through with the doctor’s recommendations, or to put things off till later.
But waiting can be deadly, so please jump in and take quick action.
Early treatment of endometrial cancer provides us with fantastic chances to survive and thrive ALIVE!
Katerina Lorenzatos Makris, a career news reporter and fiction author, is Sass101.com’s founder and editor.
Her fiction includes 17 novels for Simon and Schuster, E.P. Dutton, Avon, and other major publishers (under the name Kathryn Makris), as well as a teleplay for CBS-TV, and a short story for The Bark magazine.
She has written hundreds of articles for regional wire services and for outlets such as National Geographic Traveler, The San Francisco Chronicle, Travelers’ Tales, NBC’s Petside.com, RescueDiva.com, AnimalIssuesReporter.com, and Examiner.com (Animal Policy Examiner).
While specializing in animal and environmental issues, Katerina has covered a wide range of additional topics such as hurricanes, elections, 12 capital murder trials, and last but not least, women’s issues.
Her hundreds of interviews include HRH Princess Irene of Greece, Pres. George H.W. Bush, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ralph Nader, Sissy Spacek, Ted Danson, the real Col. Sanders, and Benji the Dog.
Together with coauthor Shelley Frost, Katerina wrote a step-by-step guide for hands-on, in-the-trenches dog rescue, Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need (The Lyons Press).
Please email Katerina at sass101info AT yahoo DOT com with any questions or comments. [We spell out the address that way to try to foil spammers. ? ]
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