Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Endometrial Cancer

Definition

Endometrial cancer develops when the cells that make up the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) become abnormal and grow uncontrollably.

Description

Endometrial cancer (also called uterine cancer) is the fourth most common type of cancer among women and the most common gynecologic cancer. Approximately 34, 000 women are diagnosed with endometrial cancer each year. In 1998, approximately 6, 300 women died from this cancer. Although endometrial cancer generally occurs in women who have gone through menopause and are 45 years of age or older, 30% of the women with endometrial cancer are younger than 40 years of age. The average age at diagnosis is 60 years old.

The uterus, or womb, is the hollow female organ that supports the development of the unborn baby...