What are the symptoms of uterine fibroid cancer?

Uterine cancer, also known as endometrial cancer, occurs in the inner layer of the uterus. Uterine cancer is the second most common cancer in women, second only to breast cancer. It is more common in women aged 50 to 60, and often occurs after menopause. If uterine cancer is discovered late, the best treatment period will be missed, and it may even be life-threatening. We need to understand the early symptoms of uterine cancer so that we can treat it early.

Uterine fibroids can be malignant. Many women don't know much about them and often worry that they will always be malignant. So, can uterine fibroids become malignant? What are the symptoms? Experts say: Uterine fibroids are common benign tumors in women. The malignant transformation rate is very low, only 0.3% to 1.39%. The average rate for married women of childbearing age is 4 to 5, of which 1 is a uterine fibroid.

Uterine fibroids can be divided into two types: benign lesions and malignant lesions. Details are as follows:

1. Malignant lesions of uterine fibroids

Sarcomatous transformation: About 0.5-1% of uterine fibroids transform into sarcomas, which is most common in older people, larger and faster-growing fibroids, and especially in postmenopausal women with rapidly growing or recurrent uterine fibroids. The mechanism is unknown. The tissue of the sarcoma is yellowish and soft like fish.

2. Benign lesions of uterine fibroids

1. Cystic degeneration: hyaline degeneration caused by further development is characterized by insufficient hyaline degeneration, local tissue liquefaction degeneration, the formation of embedded or transparent colloid fluid sacs, and myoma soft cysts.

2. Fatty degeneration: often occurs in the late stage after hyaline degeneration or necrosis, and may also be the adipose tissue formed between myoma and metaplasia. It is soft and tender, and is easily diagnosed as sarcoma. Under the light microscope, there are vacuoles in the myocardial cells, and fat staining is positive.

3. Hyaline degeneration: Due to the rapid growth of uterine fibroids, it causes relative insufficiency, the edema of the soft tissue disappears partially, and is replaced by a spiral structure. The transparent material is uniform, and the macroscopically easily confused sarcoma degeneration cannot see the cell structure under the light microscope, and the diseased part is a non-uniform structure.

4. Infection: It is more common in submucosal fibroids and vagina. The blood supply is blocked, necrosis occurs, and infection follows. A small number of patients have been infected with pelvic inflammatory disease, many of which involve uterine fibroids.

Early symptoms of uterine cancer

1. Vaginal discharge

Because adenocarcinoma grows in the uterine cavity, the chance of infection is less than that of cervical cancer, so in the early stage, there may be only a small amount of bloody leucorrhea, but in the later stage, if infection and necrosis occur, a large amount of foul-smelling pus and blood-like fluid will be discharged. Sometimes the discharge may contain small fragments of cancerous tissue. If pus accumulates in the cervical cavity, it will cause fever, abdominal pain, and leukocytosis. The general condition will also deteriorate rapidly.

2. Pain

The cancer and its bleeding and the accumulation of fluids stimulate the irregular contraction of the uterus, causing paroxysmal pain, accounting for about 10-46%. This symptom mostly occurs in the late stage. If the cancer tissue penetrates the serosa or erodes the connective tissue around the uterus, bladder, or compresses other tissues, it can also cause pain, which is often stubborn and progressively aggravated; and it often radiates from the lumbosacral region and lower abdomen to the thighs and knees.

3. Uterine bleeding

Irregular vaginal bleeding before and after menopause is the main symptom of endometrial cancer. It is usually a small to moderate amount of bleeding, and rarely a large amount of bleeding. Not only are younger or near-menopausal patients prone to mistaking it for irregular menstruation and not seeking medical treatment in time, but even doctors often neglect it. Some people also have delayed menstrual cycles, but the symptoms are irregular. Postmenopausal patients often present with continuous or intermittent vaginal bleeding.

4. Menstrual disorders

Usually, due to the influence of cancer cells, normal menstrual periods will be affected, and then amenorrhea, delayed menstruation, etc. will occur. This is not the only symptom of uterine cancer.

5. Abdominal mass

When you accidentally touch your abdomen, you may find a lump that is painless but will gradually grow larger over time. This is not considered a major symptom of uterine cancer.

6. Compression symptoms

Due to the different growth sites and sizes of uterine cancer tumors, different compression symptoms may occur. For example, if the fibroids grow on the anterior wall of the uterus, uterine cancer patients may compress the bladder and cause frequent urination, urgency, and even urinary retention.

The above are the early symptoms of uterine cancer. Understanding the early symptoms of uterine cancer is very helpful for treatment and prevention.