WOMB CANCER

Womb cancer, also called uterine cancer, develops in the lining or the wall of your womb. It's caused by an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells. It can be malignant or benign.

Malignant tumours are cancerous. They spread to other parts of your body and invade surrounding tissue. A malignant tumour can grow through your womb and spread to other parts of your body through your bloodstream or lymph system. This spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Benign tumours aren't cancerous. They don't spread to other parts of the body and don't invade surrounding tissue.

Symptoms of womb cancer

The most common symptom of womb cancer is bleeding from the vagina, particularly in older women who have been through the menopause. If you haven't yet been through the menopause, you may find that you have unusually heavy bleeding during your period or bleeding between periods.

There are a number of other symptoms that might be caused by cancer of the womb. These include:

• discharge from your vagina
• pain in your lower abdomen (tummy), back or legs
• pain or discomfort during sex

These symptoms may be caused by problems other than womb cancer. If you have any of these symptoms, visit your GP for advice.