How common is endometrial cancer?

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How common is endometrial cancer?

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer and the fourth most common cancer in women in the United States. Over 41,000 cases of endometrial cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S., where 1 woman in 38 develop the disease.¹

Endometrial cancer is most often diagnosed in women between 50 and 65 years old and in postmenopausal women. Women younger than age 40 account for 5% of endometrial cancer diagnoses. In most cases these younger women are greatly overweight.² Women who have had a hysterectomy have no risk of developing endometrial cancer.

Caucasian women develop endometrial cancer at a higher rate than African-American women. But African-American women have a higher death rate from endometrial cancer.¹

References

Citations

1. American Cancer Society (2006). Cancer Facts and Figures 2006, pp. 1–56. Atlanta: American Cancer Society. Available online: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/stt_0.asp.

2. Mutch DG (2003). Uterine cancer. In JR Scott et al., eds., Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 9th ed., chap. 54, pp. 951–969. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Credits

Last updated:	November 27, 2006
Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Ross Berkowitz, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman