Cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer) is often diagnosed early, before it has spread. In many cases, surgery will be the only treatment needed. If cancer has spread beyond the uterus, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormone therapy may also be used.
Learn more about:
- How cancer treatment affects fertility
- Making treatment decisions
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone treatment
- Immunotherapy and targeted therapy
- Palliative treatment
How cancer treatment affects fertility
If you have not yet been through menopause, having a hysterectomy or radiation therapy for cancer of the uterus will mean you won’t be able to become pregnant. If having children is important to you, discuss the options with your doctor before starting treatment and ask to see a fertility specialist. It may be helpful to talk with a psychologist or counsellor if possible changes to fertility are worrying you.
A small number of women with early-stage, low-grade cancer of the uterus choose to wait until after they have had children to have a hysterectomy. These women may be offered hormone therapy and carefully monitored while waiting to have surgery.
For more on this, see Fertility and Cancer.
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More resources
A/Prof Orla McNally, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist, Director Oncology/Dysplasia, Royal Women’s Hospital, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, University of Melbourne, and Director of Gynaecology Tumour Stream, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, VIC; A/Prof Yoland Antill, Medical Oncologist, Peninsula Health, Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Cabrini Health and Monash University, VIC; Grace Guerzoni, Consumer; Zeina Hayes, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; Bronwyn Jennings, Gynaecology Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Mater Hospital Brisbane, QLD; A/Prof Christopher Milross, Director of Mission and Radiation Oncologist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Mariad O’Gorman, Clinical Psychologist, Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre and Bankstown Cancer Centre, NSW.
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