Treatment for womb cancer

There are things you can do to help you feel more in control of your physical and mental health when preparing for treatment. In the hospital, preparing for treatment is also called prehabilitation or prehab.

A team of health professionals decides what treatment you might need. They also decide what treatment options you have.

Most women with womb cancer have surgery to remove the womb. The operation you have depends on how far the cancer has grown.

Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs circulate throughout the body in the bloodstream.

Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill womb cancer cells. You might have radiotherapy after surgery to reduce the risk of cancer coming back or to help control the symptoms of advanced cancer. You might also have internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy).

Hormones are substances that occur naturally in the body. They control the growth and activity of our cells. You might have hormone therapy for advanced womb cancer or womb cancer that has come back.

Targeted cancer drugs work by targeting the differences in cancer cells that help them to grow and survive. Other drugs help the immune system to attack cancer. They are called immunotherapies.

After treatment for womb cancer, you have checkups at the hospital. You also have tests, including blood tests, x-rays and scans.

Unfortunately, advanced womb cancer can't usually be cured, but there are a number of ways to control symptoms.