How to Identify Symptoms of Womb Cancer

Womb cancer, when diagnosed at stage one, has a very high survival rate at 95%. However, far too often it is not diagnosed until it has progressed to more advanced stages. This is because there is a lack of awareness of womb cancer and its symptoms, meaning women often seek medical advice only when the cancer has already progressed beyond stage one.

My Womb Cancer Story

In March 2019 I was diagnosed with womb cancer. I was one of those people who failed to recognise the symptoms for what they were and by the time of the diagnosis, the womb cancer was at stage 3c2. This meant that it had spread from the womb to the lymph nodes in the pelvis and the abdomen. I needed a radical hysterectomy (removal of the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes), six courses of chemo as well as 25 external and 2 internal rounds of radiotherapy to treat it. Thankfully, the treatments worked and I am now cancer free.

Not that there is any point in ifs and buts, but sometimes I cannot help but think how different things could have been if I had known the symptoms. Had I known the warning signs, I would have seen my doctor sooner and perhaps nor needed chemo or radiotherapy. Often, when womb cancer is diagnosed at stage one, only a hysterectomy is needed to treat it successfully.

I might have not known the symptoms, but I hope that others can learn from my experience. It has left me with a desire to spread awareness so more people will know the potential symptoms and speak to their doctor sooner than I did.

So what are the symptoms to look out for?

Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding

The most common and easiest to identify symptom is abnormal vaginal bleeding. The NHS website on womb cancer advises that any vaginal bleeding after menopause is abnormal and needs investigating. Abnormal bleeding before menopause includes changes to the periods (longer or heavier) or bleeding between periods. It can also include bleeding during or after sex.

In my case, I had changes to my periods. They were gradual changes and I (not knowing better) put them down to age and hormonal changes. For a few years they had been getting longer and heavier, but I ignored those changes until the pain started. By the time I was diagnosed, I was in constant pain and living on painkillers. No wonder, really, considering how far the cancer had spread.

Other Symptoms of Womb Cancer

While abnormal vaginal bleeding is the most common and obvious symptom, there are others which may indicate womb cancer. Many of them can be difficult to connect with womb cancer. Looking back, I had many of these symptoms, I just didn’t associate them with their actual cause.

For example, womb cancer can cause back pain and pain in the pelvic area. For several years I had had back pain, but I always thought it was down to my poor posture when marking piles of my pupils’ books.

Another symptom I put down to my work as a teacher, was constantly feeling tired. Many teachers in the UK work very long hours (the most overtime in any profession, read more here) and are exhausted by the time half-term breaks or holidays come around.

Further symptoms include loss of appetite or feeling full quickly, bloated stomach, changes to bowel habits and the need to urinate more often.

To Summarise

It is worth remembering that having any of these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you have womb cancer. There can be other reasons behind them, even abnormal vaginal bleeding. But should you experience them on a regular basis, you should speak to your doctor. And you should always speak to your doctor without a delay if you have abnormal vaginal bleeding.

Don’t be like me and dismiss the symptoms as something else without having them looked at.

To read more about my experiences since the diagnosis, visit my blog.