Cancer is complex — there is no routine endometrial cancer, nor is there ever a routine way to treat it.
The OSUCCC – James physicians are nationally and internationally renowned in research and patient care for their one particular cancer. Because of that expertise and understanding of cancer’s complexities and how it acts and reacts differently in each person, the very best outcomes — and the most effective means of treating cancer patients — come from a team approach.
At the OSUCCC – James, endometrial cancer patients have a team of experts that includes gynecologic oncologists, radiation oncologists, geneticists, nutritionists and more. Also on that team are endometrial cancer researchers who help sequence tumors to identify key molecules that fuel each patient’s cancer and who then develop drugs that target only those particular molecules. Many of our experts also help write the national clinical guidelines for treatments.
As one of only a few cancer centers in the country funded by the National Cancer Institute to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials, the OSUCCC – James offers patients access to more clinical trials than nearly any other cancer hospital in the country and to more of the latest, most targeted, most effective treatment options — many that are available nowhere else but at the OSUCCC – James.
There are several types of treatment for endometrial cancer. The OSUCCC – James team of subspecialists determine the best treatment for each patient based on his or her specific, individual endometrial cancer. Patients may receive one treatment or a combination of treatments.
Endometrial Cancer Treatment Options
The following treatments are available to treat endometrial cancer:
Surgery
Surgery is the treatment chosen most often for endometrial cancer and may involve a total hysterectomy (removing the uterus and cervix), a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (surgery to remove both ovaries and both fallopian tubes) or a radical hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus, cervix and part of the vagina).
The ovaries, fallopian tubes or nearby lymph nodes may also be removed during a radical hysterectomy.
Even after the cancer is surgically removed, patients may undergo additional radiation, chemotherapy, immune therapy and/or hormone treatment to kill any cancer cells that may have been missed. This may help lower the risk of the cancer coming back.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses X-rays to reach and destroy cancer cells. Radiation is often used to treat specific areas of the body.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses specialized drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by destroying the cells or by preventing them from making new cells. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Hormone Therapy
Certain female sex hormones such as estrogens may in some cases cause endometrial cancer to grow. Hormone therapy uses drugs, surgery or radiation to stop or block hormones responsible for endometrial cancer. Different hormones are sometimes used to counteract the estrogen. Typically hormone therapy alone will not cure endometrial cancer.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body, or made in a laboratory, can be used to encourage the body’s immune system to activate and attack endometrial cancer cells in the body.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of drug treatment designed to attack cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed. These drugs tend to have less severe side effects and are usually more tolerated than chemotherapy drugs.
Several different types of targeted drugs are available to treat endometrial cancer. Some help constrict or stop blood vessels from forming in a tumor, serving to close off the nutrient supply to the tumor. Others work on the immune system by identifying and attacking certain substances on cancer cells.