Uterine Cancer or Uterine Fibroids? A Comparative Look on Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Prognosis
Having uterine fibroid is a common occurrence among women between ages 35 and 50. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Women’s Services, 20 to 80 percent of women will develop fibroids in their lifetime.
And, since the symptoms of having uterine fibroids and uterine cancer is pretty much the same, many women wonder—can uterine cancer be misdiagnosed as uterine fibroids?
Understanding Uterine fibroids
Fibroids are benign growths in the walls of the uterus. The medical term for this type of fibroid is leiomyoma or simply myoma. A woman can have just one single growth or several in various parts of the uterus. It can be as small as a fruit seed or as big as a grapefruit.
The most common signs of having fibroids include:
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Painful periods
- Anemia
- Frequent urination
- Constipation
- Low back pains
- Infertility
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Enlarged abdomen
- Feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen
- Complications during pregnancy which mostly lead to a C-section
Not all women who have fibroids experience these symptoms. In most cases, those who have very small growths do not experience any symptoms at all.
Uterine Leiomyomas Diagnosed
Abnormal menstrual bleeding is commonly the first symptom that prompts a woman to visit a gynecologist to get checked. The diagnostic procedure for leiomyoma typically includes:
- Physical examination (checking for irregularities in the uterus)
- Ultrasound (sound waves are used to get a picture of what’s inside the uterus and to check the location and size of the fibroids)
- Complete blood test (to rule out anemia or other possible causes of menstrual bleeding)
These basic diagnostic procedures are usually sufficient. But for older women, especially those approaching menopause, some other procedures might be necessary—MRI, hysterosonography, hysterosalpingography, and hysteroscopy are just a few examples.
Getting Rid of Benign Growths
There is no one-step means of treating benign uterine fibroids. These normally go away and shrink after menopause when the reproductive hormones are no longer active in the body. The growths are not cancerous and do not usually interfere with a woman’s ability to get pregnant.
Some women actively seek treatment because the symptoms are already interfering with their overall wellness. Some may be prescribed with hormone-regulating medications, non-surgical and surgical procedures.
Shifting the Focus to Uterine Cancer
Uterine cancer is the buildup of malignant tumors or growths in the uterus. Risk factors include not giving birth, obesity, menopause, family history of uterine cancer, early start of menses (before the age of 12), hyperplasia, estrogen therapy, radiation to the pelvic area, and Lynch syndrome.
Some of the most common signs of having uterine cancer include:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding that isn’t part of the menstrual cycle
- Bleeding after menopause
- Painful urination
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Pelvic pains
All about Diagnosis and Treatment
The most common sign of uterine cancer is abnormal vaginal bleeding. The doctor will initially do a pelvic exam to check for abnormalities. A Pap smear and ultrasound are the next non-invasive diagnostic tests. If the results seem positive, a CT scan or MRI will help confirm the diagnosis.
The final confirmation will come from a biopsy. This procedure will first require a minor surgery to take a sample of the tissues in the uterine lining and the tumor. Simply put, the biopsy will confirm if cancer cells are present in the tissues.
Uterine cancer, when diagnosed early, has a high treatment rate within a span of five years. Still, many factors affect the survival rate, including the patient’s overall health, the size and type of malignant tumor, and the stage of the cancer upon diagnosis.
How do I Know if I have Cancer or Uterine Fibroids?
As you’ve learned, the symptoms of having fibroids and those of uterine cancer are practically the same. The only exception is when the cancer has spread and has shut down down the body’s immune system, already showing severe health deterioration.
The only sure way to know if a fibroid is cancerous and to catch it in its early stage is through thorough diagnosis ending in biopsy. Surgical removal of the growth is required, and then a sample tissue will be checked for the presence of cancer cells.
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