Womb cancer treatment

Surgery is the main treatment for womb cancer if it's found early.

But this will depend on:

the size of the cancer
where it is
if it has spread
your general health

Other types of treatment include:

radiotherapy
cancer medicines

You may have more than 1 type of treatment. For example, radiotherapy before surgery to shrink the cancer and make it easier to remove.

Specialist care team

You will have a team of specialists who will work together to give you the best treatment and care. Your care team may also be called your multidisciplinary team (MDT).

This team includes a:

specialist cancer surgeon
radiotherapy and cancer medicines specialist (an oncologist)
radiologist
specialist nurse

Your care team will:

explain the treatments, benefits and side effects
work with you to create a treatment plan that’s best for you
help you manage any side effects, including any changes to your diet
talk to you about the impact your treatment may have on your fertility and sexual function

You'll have regular check-ups during and after any treatments. You may also have more tests and scans.

Choosing your care plan

Your care team will talk to you about your care plan.

When deciding what treatment is best for you, your care team will consider:

the stage and grade of your cancer (how far it has spread and how quickly the cancer is growing)
your general health
if you have gone through menopause

You should be able to talk about your treatment with your care team at any time and ask questions.

Ask about symptoms or side effects if you are worried. You do not need to wait for your next check-up.

People can find it embarrassing to talk about menopausal or sexual side effects of treatment. Try not to be embarrassed. Your GP, specialist doctor or nurse will be used to talking about these kinds of symptoms.

Surgery

Surgery is often the main treatment for early-stage womb cancer. Especially if the cancer is found early.

Surgery will usually involve removing:

your womb and cervix (hysterectomy)
your ovaries and fallopian tubes

Depending on the type and location of the cancer, surgery may also involve removing:

lymph nodes around your womb or in your pelvis
the upper part of the vagina that connects to the cervix
your bladder or rectum (if cancer has returned or spread there)

Recovery from surgery can take 6 weeks to 3 months. Your care team will talk to you about all the benefits and side effects.

A combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy may be used if the cancer has spread. This combination of treatment helps to remove as much of the cancer as possible.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays of radiation to kill cancer cells.

You may have radiotherapy for womb cancer:

as the main treatment (if you cannot have surgery)
if the cancer is large or has spread
after surgery (usually with chemotherapy), to prevent the cancer coming back

You will not become radioactive during your radiotherapy treatment. You can still meet and be close to loved ones. This includes children and pregnant women.

Cancer medicines

Your care team may recommend treatment with cancer medicines. These will be to either kill or slow the growth of cancer cells.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses medicines to kill cancer cells.

It is also known as cytotoxic chemotherapy or cytotoxic cancer medicine. Cytotoxic means toxic to cells.

What to expect if you need chemotherapy

Clinical trials

Research into newer and better treatments for womb cancer is ongoing through clinical trials.

Speak to your care team if you're interested in participating in a trial as part of your treatment. They can let you know about any research you may be able to get involved in.

It's important to be aware that you might not get an experimental treatment. You may be given a standard treatment that's being compared to the new one. There's no guarantee that a new treatment will be more effective.

Clinical trials