Contents:
- Medical Video: Uterine Cancer Symptoms & Treatment at MD Anderson
- What are the treatments for treating uterine sarcoma?
- Operation
- Radiation therapy
- Hormone therapy
Medical Video: Uterine Cancer Symptoms & Treatment at MD Anderson
Uterine sarcoma is a disease in which malignant cells (cancer) form in the muscles of the uterus or other uterine support tissues. Uterine sarcoma is considered a rare type of cancer in the uterine muscle and uterine support tissue.
If you are diagnosed with uterine sarcoma, your doctor can offer various types of treatment.
What are the treatments for treating uterine sarcoma?
Operation
Surgery is the most common type of treatment for uterine sarcoma. Even though all cancers have been removed from the body through surgery, sometimes you need to run chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to kill the remaining cancer cells. Surgery is usually used for patients with stage III cancer. Treatment given after surgery, with the aim of reducing the risk of recurrence, is called adjuvant therapy.
After surgery, you can resume normal activities in 4 to 8 weeks. However, some women can experience feelings of loss that might make intimacy difficult to achieve.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or prevent cell growth. There are two types of radiation therapy. First, external radiation therapy that uses machines outside the body to emit radiation to cancer cells. Second, internal radiation therapy that uses radioactive substances that are sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are inserted directly into or near the cancer area. The radiation therapy method given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Radiation therapy will reduce the number of white blood cells in the body. Some women can experience diarrhea or frequent and uncomfortable urination, or even the vagina feels dry, itchy, tight, and burning.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a therapy that uses drugs to prevent the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy will destroy cells or prevent growth and division. You can use chemotherapy using drugs taken or injected directly into a vein.
After being drunk, the drug will enter the bloodstream quickly to reach cancer cells throughout the body and destroy it with strong chemicals (systemic chemotherapy). Another way for chemotherapy drugs to enter the body is to inject it directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, organs, or body cavities such as the stomach where cancer cells are located, and the drug will focus its work on cancer cells in the area (regional chemotherapy) . The way chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy stops the growth of cancer cells by removing excess hormones and stopping the hormones in the body. Hormones are produced by glands in the body and circulate in the bloodstream. Some cancers can grow thanks to hormones. If a test shows cancer cells have a place where hormones can attach (receptors), doctors can use drugs, surgery, or radiation therapy to reduce hormone production or block its function.
Women who use progesterone can complain of fatigue and changes in appetite and weight, and can accumulate fluid in the body. Pre-menopausal women can experience changes in their menstrual cycle.
