What is Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Endometrium?
Clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium is a rare and aggressive type of cancer of the endometrium that accounts for less than 5% of all uterine cancers.
Disease Causes
There is no well-known cause, however certain risk factors are considered responsible for the development of clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium:
- Genetics: Changes in special genes (e.g., ARIDA1, ZFHX, PIK3CA) can increase the chance of abnormal cell growth.
- Age: As people age the risk of developing clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium rises.
- Obesity: The risk is increased by being overweight.
- Ethnicity: Black people are roughly twice as likely as other people to develop clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium.
- Hormonal imbalance: The risk may be increased if estrogen is used without progesterone during menopause.
- PCOS: A higher chance of developing clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome.
- Tamoxifen: Using this drug increases the chance of cancer of the breast and uterus.
Signs and Symptoms
The patient may suffer from the following signs and symptoms
- Abnormal bleeding from the vagina
- Bleeding from the vagina after menopause (permanent cessation of menstruation)
- Bleeding from vagina between 2 menstrual cycles
- Irregular periods
- Pain in the pelvis or lower part of the back
- Pain in the abdomen
- Loss or reduced hunger
- Changes in Bowel Habits
- Unintentional weight loss
Diagnosis
Diagnosing a clear cell carcinoma of the uterus involves several steps:
- Pelvic examination.
- Imaging tests (MRI or CT scans): These are used to see the size of the tumour and whether it has spread.
- Histopathology
- Tumour markers
Treatment
Treatment depends on the tumour’s size and spread:
- Surgery: Often involves removing the uterus (hysterectomy) and sometimes nearby lymph nodes.
- Radiation therapy: May be used to kill any remaining cancer cells after surgery.
- Chemotherapy: In some cases, especially if the cancer is more aggressive or has spread.
- Other treatments: For slow-growing tumours, hormonal treatments or drugs that target specific tumour cells might be considered.
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