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Finding uterine cancer early

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Cancer types
  4. Uterine
  5. Finding cancer early
Print

When uterine cancer is found and treated early, the chances of successful treatment are better. Get regular health checkups and see your doctor if you have any symptoms, such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, or if you are worried about your health.

Most women should have regular Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer. This test sometimes also finds uterine cancer. It is not used as a regular screening test for uterine cancer because it was developed to find abnormal cervical cells rather than abnormal uterine cells. Also, the Pap test doesn’t reach the inside of the uterus so it will not find all uterine cancers.

If you have a higher than average risk, you may need to visit your doctor more often to check for uterine cancer. Talk to your doctor about tests that can help find uterine cancer early, including the following:

  • pelvic exam
  • transvaginal ultrasound
  • hysteroscopy
  • biopsy of the inner lining of the uterus (called the endometrium)

Expert review and references

  • Alektiar KM, Abu-Rustum NR, Fleming GF. Cancer of the uterine body. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 73:1048-1064.
  • American Cancer Society. Endometrial Cancer Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging. 2016. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/endometrial-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging.html.
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology. Uterine Cancer. 2017.
  • Carter JS. Medscape Reference: Endometrial (Uterine) Cancer Guidelines. 2016. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2500015-overview.
  • National Cancer Institute. Endometrial Cancer Screening (PDQ®) Health Professional Version. 2017. https://www.cancer.gov/types/uterine/hp/endometrial-screening-pdq.
  • Smith RA, von Eschenbach, AC, Wender R, et al. American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer: update of early detection guidelines for prostate, colorectal, and endometrial cancers. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2001.

Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

We do our best to make sure that the information we provide is accurate and reliable but cannot guarantee that it is error-free or complete.

The Canadian Cancer Society is not responsible for the quality of the information or services provided by other organizations and mentioned on cancer.ca, nor do we endorse any service, product, treatment or therapy.

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