Knowledge about early endometrial cancer symptoms lacking
A recent study found that 37% of women do not recognize postmenopausal bleeding as an early symptom of endometrial cancer, indicating a lack of knowledge among patients and providers.
Knowledge about early endometrial cancer symptoms lacking | Image Credit: © New Africa - © New Africa - stock.adobe.com.
Very few women have received counseling about the warning signs of endometrial cancer from a health care professional, according to a recent study published in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.1
Experts have estimated 67,880 new cases of uterine cancer in 2024, as well as 13,250 associated deaths. Nearly all racial and ethnic groups have experienced an annual 2% increase in incidence, caused in part by rising rates of obesity in the United States.
Endometrial cancer is one of the most common female reproductive organ cancers. Associated deaths have also increased over time, with an annual increase of approximately 1.1% reported between 1999 and 2006.
A screening test has not been established for cervical cancer, but detectable symptoms allow diagnosis to occur at an early stage. These symptoms include abnormal and postmenopausal bleeding.
Diagnosis of endometrial cancer at an early stage is associated with a 5-year survival rate of nearly 95%. However, delayed diagnosis has been linked to a significantly reduced 5-year survival rate of 19%, as the disease has time to progress and metastasize.
A survey was conducted to determine the rate of women who recognize postmenopausal bleeding as a symptom of endometrial cancer. There were 650 participants in the final analysis, 145 of whom were postmenopausal. Of these women, 37% did not recognize postmenopausal bleeding as a key symptom of endometrial cancer.
While even a single episode of postmenopausal bleeding is a symptom of endometrial cancer, 41% of participants states they would not report only 1 episode of bleeding to their health care professional. Notably, only 46.5% of women recognized menopause as not having a period for 1 year or more, likely contributing to the low rate.
Adequate education is also lacking among health care professionals, as under 50% of participants reported receiving counseling about postmenopausal bleeding from their health care professional. This indicated a critical need to improve the education of patients and clinicians. Additionally, patient counseling about endometrial cancer and symptoms to be aware of must be improved.
“This survey study highlights opportunities for improved patient counseling about abnormal and postmenopausal uterine bleeding as an early warning sign of uterine cancer,” said Stephanie Faubion, MD, MBA, medical director for The Menopause Society.
“This is especially important given that the incidence and mortality rates of uterine cancer continue to increase and are notably highest in women of color,” Faubion added.
This information may be especially relevant among Black patients, who face racial disparities in endometrial cancer care compared to their White counterparts.2 A study found that race was not associated with willingness to seek care for endometrial cancer, but the odds of receiving guideline-concordant evaluation were greatly reduced among Black patients vs White patients.
Pretreatment was also significantly delayed among Black patients, with an increased wait of 3 to 5 days vs White patients. Additionally, the risk of waiting more than 6 weeks for surgery compared to White patients was increased by 30% to 40% among Black patients, vs 2% to 40% for Hispanic and Asian patients.
This data indicates significant racial disparities in endometrial cancer care. Increasing patient and provider awareness about obvious symptoms may help reduce these disparities.
References
- What you don’t know about endometrial cancer could kill you. The Menopause Society. July 31, 2024. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/press-release/postmenopausal-bleeding-and-endometrial-cancer.pdf
- Krewson C. Racial disparities reported in endometrial cancer care. Contemporary OB/GYN. September 25, 2023. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/racial-disparities-reported-in-endometrial-cancer-care
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