Anyone with a womb can get womb cancer. It usually happens after menopause, in people over the age 40.
It’s not clear what causes womb cancer, but there are some things that can increase your chance of getting it.
Having a high level of a hormone called oestrogen is one of the main things that can increase your chance of getting womb cancer.
You may have high levels of oestrogen if you:
- are overweight
- take some types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
You may have a higher chance of getting womb cancer if you have:
- gone through menopause after the age of 55
- never given birth
- diabetes
- a family history of bowel, ovarian or womb cancer
- inherited a rare gene that causes Lynch syndrome
- taken medicines like Tamoxifen (used to treat breast cancer)
- had radiotherapy on your pelvis
How to reduce your risk of getting womb cancer
You cannot always prevent womb cancer, but there are things you can do to lower your chance of getting it.
Do
- make sure you're a healthy weight
- stay active and do regular exercise
- have a healthy diet and cut down on alcohol
- talk to a GP about a type of contraception that may lower your chance of getting womb cancer
- talk to a GP about which HRT is best for you if you are thinking about taking HRT
It's important to get any symptoms of womb cancer checked by a GP.