health

Uterine (YOO-te-rin) cancer occurs in the tissue of the uterus, part of the
reproductive tract of women.
Uterine cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among women.
It occurs when cells in a woman’s uterus undergo abnormal changes and
start dividing without control or order, forming tumors*.
Uterine cancer* usually begins in the cells of the endometrium (endo-
MEE-tree-um), the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside of the main
part of the uterus. That is why it is sometimes called endometrial (en-do-
MEE-tree-al) cancer.
Uterine cancer is more common in women who have gone through
menopause* (usually 50 years old or older), but it can occur earlier. It usually
develops gradually, with some of the cells first undergoing precancerous
changes. These cells are not yet cancerous, but they have undergone
some abnormal changes that indicate that they could turn into cancer.

The uterus* is the hollow, pear-shaped organ in which a fetus* develops
when a woman is pregnant.