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What are the chances of getting uterine cancer?

Dr B Shakuntala Baliga MD (AIIMS), FICOG
Professor and Senior Consultant Gynecologist & Colposcopist
Mazumdar-Shaw Center for Cancer Research & Narayana Hrudayalaya Multispecialty Hospital, Bangalore

Q: My 46 years old niece had a hysterectomy 10 days ago and the report of histopathology states endometrium - simple cystic hyperplasia without atypia, myometrium – unremarkable, cervix - chronic cervicitis with ectropion. What are the chances of getting cancer? What is the prognosis? Please advise.

A:As the uterus has been removed, there is no chance of developing uterine cancer. In fact, if the D& C report prior to hysterectomy also showed same picture of endometrium on histopathology, the woman could have been treated with hormones (unless there was some contraindication for hormonal treatment or patient was unwilling or not responding to it). This picture is commonly seen during the perimenopause (due to anovulation, leading to excessive stimulation of endometrium with estrogen), and chance of this endometrium later progressing to endometrial cancer is less than 1%.