Symptoms of womb cancer
The most common symptom of womb cancer is abnormal bleeding from the vagina. This is especially in women who have stopped having periods (post menopausal women).
Abnormal vaginal bleeding can be:
- bleeding after the menopause
- bleeding that is unusually heavy or happens between periods
- a vaginal discharge that might be from pink and watery to dark and foul smelling
About 9 out of 10 womb cancers (90%) are picked up because of post menopausal or irregular vaginal bleeding. This is why womb cancer is so often diagnosed early.
Irregular bleeding is a common symptom of many other conditions, such as:
- endometriosis
- fibroids
- thickening of the womb lining (endometrial hyperplasia)
- growths (polyps) in the womb lining
- bleeding with no obvious underlying cause (called dysfunctional uterine bleeding)
Only a small number of women with irregular bleeding will actually have womb cancer.
Less common symptoms
Less common symptoms of womb cancer include blood in the urine (haematuria) with either a:
- low red blood cell level (anaemia)
- high platelet count (thrombocytosis)
- high blood sugar level
If you have symptoms your doctor might examine you. They may be able to feel that your womb is larger than normal or can feel a lump (mass) in your tummy (abdomen) or pelvis.
