Womb cancer is on the rise, experts warn – the signs you need to know

IT's one of the most common types of cancer affecting women in the UK - with more than 9,300 new cases every year.

And experts have warned cases of womb cancer are on the rise.

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told The Sun that the number of womb cancers diagnosed in the UK has surged by 19 per cent in the last decade.

They said the rise comes as the obesity epidemic has spiralled - adding having excess fat cells is one of the main risk factors for the disease.

It comes as a new study from the Mayo Clinic in the US found that the bacteria in a woman's womb might play a role in womb cancer, also known as endometrial cancer.

Researchers said the disease is the most common gynae cancer in the US, and the fourth most common cancer in women.

They added: "Endometrial cancer is on the rise in the western world, suggesting that alterations in environmental factors such as diet, lifestyle and the vaginal microbiome may be important drivers in its cause."

Dr Marina Walther-Antonio, who led the study, said their findings could pave the way for a new screening test for womb cancer.

She said: "If the microbiome does play a role in endometrial cancer, beyond being a marker for it, this could have important implications for endometrial cancer prevention."

But, currently, in the absence of a screening test, one of the best ways to spot the disease is the be wise to the signs and symptoms.

Signs of womb cancer

The Eve Appeal is urging people to learn the key symptoms to ensure it's caught in the earliest stages, when you have a better chance of surviving.

The most common symptom of womb cancer is abnormal bleeding from the vagina.

The bleeding may start as a light bleed with a watery discharge, which may get heavier over time, according to NHS Choices.

As most women who are diagnosed have been through the menopause, any vaginal bleeding will be unusual.

In women who haven't been through the menopause, periods may be heavier than usual or women may experience bleeding between periods.

The symptoms include:

1. Abnormal bleeding
2. Pain in the lower abdomen
3. Pain during sex
4. Pain in the back
5. Poss of appetite
6. Tiredness
7. Nausea

If you are worried about any of these symptoms, you should visit your GP.

Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of women's charity The Eve Appeal, said: "Abnormal bleeding is a common symptom of womb cancer, yet is often misdiagnosed or thought to be 'nothing serious' and we need to stress that in most cases, this is the case.

"But it's important to see a doctor and get checked out, as it could be something much more serious, like cancer.

"As the fourth most common cancer in women, womb cancer has alarmingly low awareness.

"This is particularly distressing as the symptoms go unrecognised by women and this is a often a very treatable cancer if it’s caught early."

Womb cancer risk factors

The exact cause of womb cancer is not known, but certain things can increase a woman's chance of getting it.

The NHS says these factors can increase a woman's chance of developing womb cancer:

• Age - The majority of cases occur in women aged 40 to 74, with only one per cent of cases being diagnosed in women under 40
• Oestrogen - If your oestrogen is out of balance and more of it is produced, the cells of the lining of the womb can divide, increasing the risk of cancer.
• Hormone replacement therapy - This has a link to increased oestrogen and oestrogen-only HRT should only be given to women who have had their womb surgically removed.
• Being overweight or obese - Women who are overweight are three times more likely to develop womb cancer compared with women who are a healthy weight.
• Not having children - Women who have not had children are at a higher risk of womb cancer, which medics believe could be down increased levels of progesterone and decreased levels of oestrogen that occur during pregnancy having a protective effect on the lining of the womb
• Diabetes - Women with diabetes are twice as likely to develop the cancer because it can increase the amount of insulin in the body, which in turn raises oestrogen levels.
• Polycystic ovaries - Women with polycystic ovaries are more likely to develop the womb cancer because they also have more oestrogen in their body.
• Endometrial hyperplasia - This condition causes the lining of the womb to become thicker, which could leave women at an increased risk of the cancer.

New research recently suggested women who have a higher waist to hip ratio are a fifth more likely to get womb cancer.

Researchers found that for every 0.1 unit increase in the ratio, the risk of developing womb cancer increased by 21 per cent, they wrote in the British Medical Journal.